Spurius
by FullMetalFan112
Summary: When an epidemic breaks out, True Cross must track down infected victims while working on discovering a cure. Foreign students come to the Japanese branch to help with the dilemma. But where did this disease come from? And is Rin involved somehow?
1. Prologue: The Burning Doll

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLUE EXORCIST OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THEY BELONG 100% TO THE AUTHOR KAZUE KATO (AND THE COMPANIES THAT MAKE THE ANIME) THIS STORY IS PURELY FAN-WRITTEN AND I ONLY OWN ANY O.C. THAT APPEARS.**

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><p><strong>Author's note:<strong> So….aha…*nervous laugh* I'm finally putting something up… This is my very first fan fiction on this website, so please go easy on me?...*tremble* please? ^^;

I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for anyone who clicks into this story and takes the time to read it! I've been into Blue Exorcist for a while now. The moment I picked up volume one, I immediately fell in love with the characters and wanted to write a fan fiction for it!

Actually, although this is my first fanfic on this website, its not my first time spinning plots and characters. I'm fundamentally an artist, and I'm often sketching out ideas for comics/manga strips. I'm just trying to use words instead of pictures this time. xD You are always welcome to check my deviant account. I go by the same penname there.

**A NOTE: The story contains OC x CANON. **I'm aware that o.c. x canon might turn some people off, and I do not blame them. Some fan made characters turn me off as well.

However, I have tried as hard as I could to create characters that are well-rounded and flawed. I actually spent about a year developing/talking about them (and how the canon characters would interact with them) with my sister, The Fifth Champion. They each have a set personality and many faults. I assure you that none of them are secretly royalty or the most powerful being in the universe. No one's a fairy princess either, whether they are paired or not.

Rin Okumura is the overall hero of the story and Satan is the most powerful being. This will not change. I have worked hard to keep every canon character IC as well. Every time I come up with an idea, I think: "Would the character do this?"

I plan on the chapter point of views going in the order: Rin, Yukio, Arisu (an oc), then over again. As the story progresses, however, there will be chapters from other characters' point of views.

The story also takes place roughly after the fourth manga/ episode 16 of the anime. At this point, Rin's secret is out, people are avoiding him, and True Cross has a tight leash around him.

Oh, btw, what's listed down here is the **prologue. **Its supposed to be a little vague and confusing.

Anyway, thanks for reading! Here we go! Let the saga begin!

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><p><em><strong>It was evidently clear that the woman beneath the earth held no soul.<strong>_

_And as one should know, with no heart came no sanctuary. Her actions and thoughts were an endless void, a cold boundary between bliss and hell, enclosed with old splintered locks. Neither warmth nor chaos resided in that empty chamber. Within the walls, she allowed her life to continue as it was-a series of endless gore, collecting, sewing, and gore. But the lady had a task, a purpose. Not that she cared much for it._

_** "…"**_

_The kill brought no joy….._

_ The kill brought no pain….._

_Even so, doll making was her specialty. Thus, the woman spent her time pressing her foot down on a rusted screeching pedal, watching as the needle of her sewing machine stabbed the material repeatedly, and blood occasionally spurted from the punctured areas. The "fabric" figurines were sewn dozens by the dozens, hour by the hour. Though, out of all the woman's creations, nothing held more significance than the doll on the bookshelf. _

_It was not the type of doll to be played with by children. Rather, the figure was a toy of malice and frequently brought on the laughter of death. It was a fleshy thing, the material made of skin. If held firm one could feel the doll's innards, a skeleton-a ribcage. The flow of blood pumped through its veins; slow breathing tightening its chest. The doll was truly a pseudo life…an imitation…a reflection…not the real thing… _

_Many others were imitations, meant to bring harm and control. But this one was untouched. There were no bruise marks on its body, nor were there pins in its neck. The doll was not nailed to a wall by the stomach. It merely sat there. From time to time the woman could hear laughter from its source. It was a happy, teasing laugh that was clearly not directed towards her. However, the woman was not bothered by this. Even so … the doll was everything, her beginning and end, the bane and cause of her existence. The very reason for the life she led._

_**That night, her reason went up in blue flames.**_

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><p>Thank you! Please comment if you can! ^^<p> 


	2. Chapter 1: Innocence in the Alley

**Rin Okumura was a free man.** The teenage boy strolled through the maze of streets in True Cross Town with caution. He was on a MISSION, one of extreme importance and grave need of skill-YES! Indeed the young man was looking for something! Something big! Something vital! Something that no one can live without! Something that, if were to disappear from the face of the earth, all would erupt into chaos! Yes he was searching for something-he was searching for-

-The grocery store.

"Damn it where is it, where is it, where…"

As mentioned earlier, Rin was a free man. But it was not mentioned that he was free for only twenty minutes. Despite this crap, the short time interval meant a lot to him. It was much considering… considering it had been four months since they found out his secret (A secret that he himself did not know until this year)

AND – well-er-lets just say he's been sorta-on a twenty-four-hour watch since then-

Confused? Sorry….Long story short….Rin was under guard-HEAVY guard and the fact that he was walking outside by himself was a big deal. _Even if he did sneak out behind Yukio's back and he SHOULDN'T be out in the first place.._

You see, out of all the people who watched him, his brother Yukio was the WORST-always telling him to "not touch anything" or "stay where you are" or the infamous "you-better-study-for-that-test-or-else-you-are-going-to-be-in-a-world-of-trouble-and-if-you-think-you-know-what-trouble-is-then-think-again" SERMON. The thought struck a nerve –

"Arrrrggg! He thinks he's so cool! Just because he's my teacher, AND Sheimi (along with a whole bunch of other girls) obsess over him, AND he's thousand times smarter than me, AND…" Rin slouched, his head hanging low "….And…I'm a total complete loser….." He jolted up, "Still….Yukio may be SMARTER, but he's still MY _little_ brother…._Honestly, _I can handle getting _groceries! _What the hell's gonna happen?"

Rin went into a fit imitating Yukio this morning, "_No Rin, you're dangerous! _You can't go outside – _blah blah – _you're not _cool _enough to go to the market! You'll get lost – _blah blah blah – _you're not smart enough_ – blah blah – _Geez…Well, he'll be surprised when he gets back from that mission…" Rin turned and yelled over his shoulder as though his brother was right there "I THINK I can handle F*CKING GROCERI-AAARG!"

He slammed into a pole.

"Ooooowwww…..geeeezzz…" Rin rubbed his nose, balls of tears formed into his eyes due to the pain. He blinked them back and took a look around-

"Oh-_SH***********T!" _Rin kicked the pole with frustration. He had absolutely NO IDEA where the hell he was-guess he can't handle groceries after all, huh?

The area where he now stood looked nothing like the ritzy part of town. The streets were narrow, each house looked like some ran shackled apartment with ill-painted walls, broken windows, and shattered beer bottles on the floor. Some of the doors were busted open. Rin stared up coolly to see the sign on that pole graffitied '_F*CK OFF OR DIE.'_

"Not the most friendly of folk huh?" Rin did not feel the slightest bit of discomfort. The truth of the fact was that he was more familiar with places like this then back at the academy. Rin used to get into fights every other day of the week back at home, now THAT bothered him. It wasn't that he was afraid to get hurt – _no_ – if anything he should be afraid he didn't_ hurt _people he fought – Rin didn't know his own strength. What bothered him was that, no matter how hard he tried, Rin could not seem to become a _respectable _person. Even so, those days of beating jack $$es on the streets were over – he was going to be an exorcist –no – not just that – but PALADIN. _Just like the old man. _

"GAH!" Rin gritted his teeth and rubbed his head – _I gotta pay attention! Don't wanna get lost again-_

At that moment Rin heard a cracked yelp from behind-"_N-No-" _Rin whipped around to see three tall, raggedy punks in an alleyway. They sneered with crooked smiles and broken glass bottles in their hands, between them sat a shivering curled up figure-defenseless-helpless-bloody.

"_YUKIO!" _

Like all the other moments in his life, something inside of Rin snapped. Time, common sense, and consequences no longer registered in his mind-his kid brother was in danger-he was being HURT again- THEY WERE HURTING HIM AGAIN-He came bolting towards the three crooks.

"GET-_AWAAAAAAAAAAAAY!" _

Rin grabbed the middle bastard from the back of his collar.

"HEY WHAT THE-AAAAAGGG!"

The thug was flung into the side of the alley, breaking his left arm, left leg, and spraining his right ankle.

The second raised his fist and grabbed Rin's collar. "H-HEY! WHAT THE HELLDOYA THINK-uh…uh…" His face dropped-Rin caught the thug's punch midway-unintentionally crushing his wrist. By this time, the third crook ran away…but the second stared in fear at Rin's demonic expression-his eyes were stricken in a crazed state of hatred, and his _teeth-_his gritted _teeth_ were razor sharp-_fangs_. The words of taboo escaped the man's lips-his voice cracked and dry.

"Y-you're n-n-not h-human.."

At that, Rin's eyes further stricken-with painful surprise more than hatred. "_Shut-the hell_-_UUUUPPPPPP!"_ his fist drove a blow in the thug's chest, knocking all the wind out of his body and most likely cracking five of his ribs. The jack $$ fell on his back holding his stomach gasping for air, blood spurted from his mouth. Rin stood over him and spoke in a deep intimidating voice. "_Get the hell out of here." _The moment he heard those words, the crook attempted to stumble to his feet and limp away as fast as he could.

Two seconds after the incident, Rin realized he lost it again. The teenager stared into space with shock. His stomach turned and his shaky hand clasped over his right eye. "Oh man…_oh man…._did I just...did I…? Yukio's gonna…._! YUKIO!"_ He frantically kneeled before the hunched figure, arms outstretched as though he was going to place his hands on his shoulders. "_Hey! – _Are you –!"

"N-n-_noo!" _The frail boy stumbled back, horrified, he lifted his head ever slightly to expose blond locks and tormented amber eyes. "N-no….g-g-g-go…"

_It wasn't Yukio-…it's some kid-no wait-I think he's MY age…_

Rin shuffled closer, the figure yelped, _"NOOO!" _Rin lost his patience, "Hey! I just saved you from those guys! Be a little _thankful!_" His angry tone only further troubled the frail teen. He curled back into a ball, hands clasped over his head.

"No..no..no..no..no.."

There was something about this kid that made Rin think of Yukio when they were little, a defenseless crybaby. He couldn't help but to protect someone like that..

"H-hey….sorry…those punks are gone…you ok?..."

"….."

"You ok?..."

"…"

"Ok?..."

"…..Oh-o-o-o-okay?..." the blonde boy squeaked.

"Yea are you ok?..." Rin asserted, yet again.

"…..Okay….." the stranger breathed, eyes faraway beneath his fingers.

"YEA-are you ok?..."

"….Q-quoi?...P-pourquoi…..?"

Rin's brain turned off…_This guy…..doesn't speak a word of Japanese….._

He knew he had to think of some kind of way to communicate – _er – _

_CHARADES?_ The option wasn't a very reassuring. He always sucked at these types of games back when he lived at the monastery – _Why do I freakin' suck at EVERYTHING?!...Well not today! If I can take down demons – then I'm sure I can get this guy to understand me!_

Rin got up with ambition, he pointed to himself and said in a loud voice. "RIIIN!" The boy stared, confused. Rin repeated the action –

"_RIIIIIIIINN!" _

"…"

"RIN RIN MY NAME IS _RIIIIIIN!_"

"…..R-R-i-i.."

"Yea! Yea! RIN!"

"R-Rin…"

"Yea! I'm Rin! Now tell me your name! What's your name! YOUR NAME!"

Rin now pointed at the coy teenager, the boy looked down at his chest….then back at him…..he said something that sounded like ee-dun.

"Eedon?"

"A-A-Aidyn…"

"Er-yea-uh hey-Aidyn….you lost…..?"

Aidyn once again stared back confused, Rin flailed his arms wildly – "_LOST! – _

y'know…..LOST-LOST! –like – you don't know where ya going?.."

To Aidyn, it looked like he was imitating some sort of troubled, diseased-rabid chicken…."Eh…e-eh….?"

Rin closed his eyes with defeat and rubbed his head. "Uhhh…This isn't working…..hm?" He noticed a crumpled piece of paper in the kid's hand. Rin kneeled over and held his hand out. "Hey, whatcha got there?"

With a shaking hand, Aidyn timidly handed over the piece of parchment. Rin glanced at it and noticed the words printed across the top: True Cross Academy. It was a pamphlet for his school. Rin's faced beamed with excitement.

"YOU'RE GOING HERE?!"

"UUWAAAHHH!"

"UH-sorry…..you're going here?"

"G…g-go?"

"Yea! You're going here?!"

"….U-uh…er-u-uh…"

Rin held up the pamphlet and tapped it with his index finger. "HERE-You go here?"Aidyn stared at the paper and realized what he was asking. "G-go-ah-q-qui! Qui..."

"We?...OH! Your speakin' FRANCE, I get it!" He meant _French._ Rin held out his hand and pointed behind him smiling, Aidyn jolted. "I go to this school too! I'll take you there!"

Aidyn stared bewildered by Rin's kind expression. Rin repeated his words. "I'll take you there!" With extreme hesitation, the frail teenager lifted his hand; Rin took hold of his wrist and pulled him up off the ground.

As they passed through the streets Aidyn clung onto his arm from behind, trembling. It was sorta awkward…but the kid was completely freaked out, Rin could feel him shaking. And this _neighborhood- _Rin's eyes flickered from side to side. There were people from inside their homes _glaring _at the feeble boy through cracked windows….some even had the nerve to call out – but Rin would immediately retaliate.

"Hey you!-_PISS OFF!"_

"_HEY! SHUT-UP! YOU PISS OFF!" _

"_F*CK YOU!" _

"_WHY YOU-!"_

The screaming matches would only last, at the most, fives minutes. After a while the person would notice the look in Rin's eyes…and they'd grow silent, or stumble away- disturbed. _Why does everyone hate this kid so much? _Each block Aidyn would grip onto Rin tighter and tighter. There was even a point when he buried his face into Rin's back, which was _EXTREAMLY _awkward-and WEIRD. It made him uncomfortable….

"ER-UH-Hey-uh-are you ok?..."

"….."

But was it his fault? Aidyn was so weak – so HELPLESS. Rin would _NOT _abandon someone like that. It made him think too much of his brother…. And big brothers protect their little brothers-

_**Even bastard children of Satan get that….**_


	3. Chapter 2: The Hippocratic Oath

**__****A/N: **Btw, if you feel like Isaac is a jackass...you're right.

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><p><em><strong>The symptoms were certain:<strong>_

_Blackening of the veins_

_Plasma exposure from the eyes, nose, ears, or any inflicted area _

_Speaking in bizarre tongues_

_Violent behavior _

' _The victim can be spotted a mile away. '_

_ 'He mustn't escape or the virus will continue to spread like wildfire.' _

' _If he is not taken into custody and treated, the orders are to kill on spot. ' _

This was the mission Yukio Okumura was given. He would pull the trigger when the time came, no weaknesses. For now, the astonishingly mature adolescent quietly skulked down a long abandoned hallway. There were bodies, a young woman, and two boys-_dead_, too late to be treated. He spotted symptoms, but the bruises on their necks indicated that they were killed long before the illness could take effect. It was most likely due to the man he was looking for.

Yes, the ripped wallpaper, the broken furniture, the holes, and all the blood told the entire story to Yukio. Here was a man who merely wished to see his friends…family perhaps? However, before this gathering, the man was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Somehow, Yukio did not know by whom, the man had contracted the virus. He most likely spent the first few months oblivious, wandering mindlessly going about his business.

Then, the symptoms began, violent pains shooting up throughout the body, the black, ice-cold veins developing, the plasma, and finally, the last stage, extreme bloodlust. It is possible for the man to have just run into these people in a desperate crazed state, asking for death. (It would not be the first time it has happened.) One way or another, with the last stage, he went on a killing spree.

As stated before, Yukio Okumura did not know who first gave the virus. What he did know was that 'person' was a _demon. _This was the reason why the exorcists were involved. This was a force beyond an average civilian's control.

_As a doctor, it was his duty to quarantine victims and find a cure._

_ Shame it was close to impossible…._

Yukio once again scanned the room for a tenth time. His eyes always went to that same spot, two boys trapped within the crossfire of death. So young, but the virus-infected murderer had already claimed them. They appeared to be brothers-no-wait-yes, they definitely were…the same hair color…..similar body structure…same dead open eyes….

One…..one of the two boys was an _older brother…_ His corpse lay stretched over the _younger…helpless brother…._ It seemed as though in his last breath of life, the boy attempted to protect his only sibling…

He failed.

There they lay bloody with bruised necks. There was a struggle before the kill-the older brother was strangled, then stabbed for good measure-they didn't want to die-no…he didn't want his _little brother _to die.

He died first.

_Why didn't the younger sibling help him? _

_Why did he let his older brother die? _

_How could he possibly let him be murdered in cold blood before him? _

_Didn't he make a promise to protect him? _

_Rin better be at the dorm. I TOLD him not to leave-I TOLD him not to sneak out-will he?-Most likely-no-he better not have-It's dangerous-he can't-_

"Meester Okumura?"

The young man forced his mind to rip away from personal fears and thoughts. He forgot that he was among other exorcists. He needed to focus on the task at hand. He must….

_He must protect his older brother no matter the cost._

"If zis is too much I suggest 'ou wait outside."

The man spoke in a French accent. _That's right, the disease was a worldwide epidemic. Exorcist branches from around the world were working together on this. _

"I'm looking for bloody footprints."

"Is zat so?"

The exorcist accompanying Yukio was Isaac L'Écarlate. A doctor, Senior First Class, (two ranks above himself) The man was of twenty-six years, roughly the same height as Yukio, light brown hair, short in the front, long in the back, and amber eyes. Like Yukio, the man was covered from head-to-toe in a full body suit in order protect himself from the virus. He held a stern expression; his posture displayed a prideful disposition. Given his rank and family name, it was sensible.

"To be perfectly honest Meester Okumura, I found it veery foolish zat True Cross even allowed a _child_ to go on such a mission. Should 'ou not be in cram school?"

Yukio clenched his teeth-this man was clearly mocking him. Instead of making eye contact, the teenager kneeled down and scanned the floor. He spoke in a monotone voice, pretending to be unaffected.

"I may not reach your personal criteria, Mr. L'Écarlate, but rest assured, I _did_ pass the exorcist exa-_there._"

"Hmm?"

Yukio pointed to his right. "_Over there,_ at the end off the hallway."

Yes. Yukio noticed that there were large blood streaks on the floor. _There was a fourth body…the inflicted man must've dragged it somewhere… but where…where? _ They ended randomly-_As though the man had disappeared out of nowhere… _

"I see! It's an opening!"

"An opening?"

"Yes, on the floor. It looks like it would lead to a cellar."

Yukio understood now. The blood, there were no pools of blood around the tiles where the streaks ended…. that meant…that there had to be some space underneath the floor for it to seep through. The teenager approached the area. It looked as though there were nothing but regular stone tiles. However, Yukio was convinced otherwise. He clenched the tips of his fingers around the end of one of the sticky stones and slowly lifted it, exposing exactly what he had suspected, a vault.

"Ah."

_Ah_. This was the closest thing to approval Isaac gave. Perhaps he was disgruntled at the fact that a _child_ gained a lead before he did. It did not matter…the two exorcists had no time for childish rivalry. Isaac was the first to jump down into the basement. Yukio scanned the area for the last time. _Those two boys were still dead-but that was logical, why wouldn't they be? Rin better be at the dorm. _Yukio did not realize he was kneeling there for three minutes.

"I am waiting. Meester Okumura."

"Tch. I'm coming."

_What was wrong with him? He needed to focus on the mission._

Inevitably, the cellar was dark. Isaac and the young man brought out flashlights and shined them around the room. It was more like another hallway, _a sewer, _which seemed to stretch on into endless darkness_. _The walls were made of the same cobblestones from above, while the ground consisted only of moist soil. Yukio's suit was getting hot, the oxygen pumped into his mask too thick to breathe. _Tch dammit…. don't tell me he escaped…_

Isaac spoke as though he knew what the teenager was thinking.

"Zere is only one way he could have gone."

The man shined his light towards the stretched darkness. _He was right. The killer is somewhere here…. He mustn't have gone far…_

The gun was in Yukio's hand. He was ready.

The two stern exorcists began to travel down the path. The moist soil became mud, and the mud became murky water. Before he knew it, Yukio was walking knee-high in sewage. He and Isaac attempted to be discreet, but the sloshing of the muck made it difficult. There was a point when the young man thought that roaming around this place was useless, and that, perhaps, the inflicted had used this gutter to escape long before they arrived. However, these thoughts changed when the two arrived at a dead end.

"Well…Isn't zat interesting…"

"…."

Yukio did not understand. _What kind of sewer is this?_ Usually a sewer is like a maze, with different turns and passageways, it should spider out all over the city… _This one merely went in a straight line…and the killer…where is the inflicted killer? _The adolescent took a step forward and his foot hit something hard. On instinct, Yukio directed his gun below, and shined his flashlight. The fogginess of the water was too great to give a detailed description, but the object was certainly the fourth body. Yukio called over Isaac.

"Ze body…. which means…_ZE WATER!"_

Before Isaac could explain Yukio was pulled under. The flashlight slipped out of his hand and darkness quickly swallowed his sight. He could feel the killer's pulsating, swollen fingers wrapped tightly around his ankle. The teenager was being dragged back down the sewer. All he could hear was the violent sloshes that came from his thrashing to break free. He struggled to steady himself. The gun was in his hand.

He fired three shots.

A muffled, gurgling screech came out of the inflicted. The grip loosened, Yukio broke away and hassled to his feet. That was when he saw it, the man. _Was it even a man…anymore? _ There it was, a lump of human flesh writhing in the mud, with black veins bursting through it. Clear liquid flowed from its eyes, ears, and mouth. _PLASIM, the liquid sect of blood ...the second symptom. _The _thing's _tongue protruded as it let out shrieks and breathy hisses.

Yukio directed his gun towards the creature. _The orders were to quarantine… I'll use tranquilizers... _He fired once more… only this time, the bullets had no effect. They merely bounced off the inflicted killer.

"What?..."

The creature's mind snapped back into whatever animalistic reasoning it had. The thing turned towards the teenager and charged. Yukio attempted to dodge, but his feet were sunken so deep in the mud that he was unable to move. _How? I could move so easy before... Why is the ground acting as quicksand now?_ The _'man' _grabbed Yukio's tube-like mask and slammed him into the wall.

"_HURK…"_

All the wind was knocked out of Yukio's body. Even more distressing, he could not move his arms and legs. It was as though they were glued to the wall. The exorcist grimaced. "_H-how..?" _The creature's hand lay clenched to the mask. Its grimy nails slowly scratched along the surface of the glass. The young man tugged at his arms, but it was no use…the wall would not release them. _Dammit, if he cracks the glass…I could be exposed…_

The killer jolted and released the mask. It screeched in pain and stumbled backwards. The creature had been stabbed between the shoulder blades with a dagger, Isaac's dagger. _How did his attack get through when my bullets were deflected? _Yukio attempted to move again, but he was still stuck. The murderer turned, snarling at the exorcist. The man kept his stern expression as he held another blade in front of him.

"Bonjour démon."

The killer bolted towards him and swiped at his face. Isaac dodged the attack with ease. He grabbed the thing's arm and twisted it. There was a snap in its bones and a screech echoed throughout the sewer. The man pulled the arm behind its back and slammed the thing against the ground. There, he leaned on the creature with his left elbow. With his right hand, he placed the dagger into his pouch and retrieved a syringe. The needle was inserted into the killer's neck, forcing it into a swift unconsciousness. Its head slammed down into the mud.

"Ze mission is complete, Meester Okumura.."

"…?"

Yukio took a step forward, suddenly capable of separating from the wall. _What was that? Virus inflicted victims never had the ability to trap a person before…not to mention…deflect bullets… Something strange is going on…_

Isaac looked over his shoulder and spoke in a cold voice.

" 'Ou know Meeter Okumura, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised when you discovered zat passageway. I could tell 'ou intended fully on apprehending zis monstrosity….However….ze moment ze creature arrived….'ou stand zere shivering like a scared puppy..."

A tight knot formed in the pit of Yukio's stomach. _Shivering…..a scared puppy? _The teenager thought of himself before…before he became an exorcist….always crying…..always hiding behind his big brother…looking to him for protection. The boy would tremble in fear at the smallest demon possible. _Back then _he was scared._ Back then _he was shivering_…but now? _ He couldn't be now… He had to be stronger… He made a promise to Dad that he would protect his older brother Rin at all costs… He couldn't be a scared puppy anymore…_ Those two boys above are still dead…_

"Y-you don't understand, I was tra-"

"I do not want to hear excuses. If 'ou are too weak then 'ou are too weak. Zis is why children should not become exorcists."

_Too weak? NO-I refuse to be. I must protect my big brother…_

_Rin better be at the dorm…_

"Children…. should not become exorcists? That's rather hypocritical on your part Mr. L'Écarlate."


	4. Chapter 3: The Face in the Water

**It had pasty white skin, blue lips, and purple smudged makeup. **

_There was a face in the water, and it would always come back when Arisu least expected it. _

But that was normal and that was life. The imagery was not bothersome to the girl- it was _stupid._ And it was that stupidity that would slam her mind into the real world. Just when her oblivious, tactless mind would separate from reality, float in space, and touch absolutely nothing…the face would come and pull her back. The important thing you need to know about Arisu L'Écarlate is this:

She had a horrible memory.

And it pissed her off.

Almost as much as not being able to whistle.

But…what _was _the face exactly? Was it a memory? (If so, a very lucid one) Or was it a fabrication of creativity? (Which would also be very surprising – Arisu was never one for telling stories.) One way or another, the face existed in the girl's mind, and it would never leave.

The face was especially irksome that afternoon, when Arisu sat alone in a nearly empty classroom. Though, as you might have guessed, she did not see a classroom, but instead saw a bleached membrane and foggy green eyes. _Did you put me here? _It seemed to ask her, those eyes, that _face_. And the girl would respond, _NO. 'ou being in ze water is 'UR problem. It's none of MY business. I really don't care. _Then, the face grew quiet and pulled Arisu under. Mud, fluid, liquid saturated the teenager's lungs, her eyes stung with blurry vision. She struggled, but her windpipe was already crushed by gruesome fingers-

This was the part where Arisu snapped back into reality.

What date was it?

What year?

Where the hell was she?

Instantly she attempted to ask her younger brother these nonsensical, yet routine questions.

"Er-uh…Aidyn…where uh Aidyn?...Aidyn?...Aid…yn…?"

She looked around the classroom. The girl saw only the dull, _stupid _faces of people she didn't know and didn't care about… Then it occurred to her, Aidyn was not there-_but wait…then where…?_ Arisu slammed both hands down on the desk, causing a loud, hard thud to echo throughout the room. Many turned, with confused, startled, or irritated expressions. The girl cried out in a thundering voice.

"_AIDYN__!"_

Without a second thought she bolted through the door and down the hallway. The teenager attempted to string together past events. _Why-why am I 'ere again-what ze 'ell am I doing here? Where's my brothzer? _Arisu remembered the face of her eldest brother, Isaac. He demanded her to enroll…_enroll at this foreign school…in Japan…leave France. _And Arisu remembered arguing. She couldn't remember what she actually said, but she knew the words had been biting. And she knew she had kept her arms wrapped tightly around a trembling boy as she spat those protests. She refused to attend True Cross without Aidyn.

But now he was gone and she had no idea where he was. This was always the issue with Arisu's bad memory, it put her little brother in danger. She'd commonly blank out, and, one second Aidyn was with her, the next he wasn't. What would happen is that the girl would unintentionally leave him in some place alone, forgetting he was there. And now she did it again-

-in a completely different county.

_I AM AN ASSHOLE!_

Why couldn't she remember past events? The medication wasn't helping at all…

Arisu continued to run, only, in a matter of seconds she crashed into something…something big. She was pretty sure it was a person…it really didn't matter. The two collided with the floor. One person with….pink…with pink….with….pink….? What the hell? Some guy with pink hair responded to the situation with a "Whoa." Arisu immediately got up and continued to run. The person she had collided with, still on the floor, held his head and called out.

"_Hey! _Watch where you're going!"

Arisu couldn't resist, still running, she turned her head and called out. "Oh-_SHUT UP_! 'Ou Stupid oaf!"

Furious, the stranger immediately retaliated. " Stupid and oaf means the same thing… _**YOU REDUNDANT BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!"**_

_Who was this asshole? _

From the distance, Arisu heard the pink guy attempt to calm his friend. "Oh let it go Bon, its just another exchange student. At least it was a _girl _this time-" _Zis time? Did he see my-? _Pink stopped talking when he heard the clacking of Arisu's cleats, running back towards them. She grabbed the guy with both hands. The teenage-girl grimaced and stared at him with strange widened eyes. _**"Where's my brothzer Pinky?... Huh?"**_

Pinky looked at her with a chill, yet frightened expression. His mouth was twisted in what seemed to be a reluctant smile. He spoke in whiny voice, indicating he was creeped out. "Hehe…Aww man you're weird..."

"Let go of Shima.." Another whiny voice…only it didn't come from Pinky or the gorilla she ran into. Oh, there was another kid with them… he was bald…Arisu didn't notice him. She was to fixated on finding her brother.

"_Well? _'ou said 'ou saw another student did 'ou not? Did 'e 'ave blond 'air?" Still trying to be chill, the pink kid closed his eyes and continued to smile.

"I don't understand what you're sayin-"

Another voice cut him off.

"_Don't bother Shima!"_

Arisu did not let go of Pinky. However, she did turn her head and spoke in a nonchalant tone. "_What? _Who are 'ou?"

"_WHO AM I? _I'm the guy you just pummeled into five seconds ago!"

"….Zat's it? I don't care."

"_WHAAAAAAT?"_

"Is zere something 'ou want? I'm busy."

"_HELL YEAH THERE'S SOMETHING I WANT-I WANT AN APOLOGY!"_

Once again the pink-haired student tried to ease his friend. "Haha…come on, take it easy. It's not everyday I'm mugged by some French chick, right?"

The ticked off friend ignored him. "_FIRST _you crash into me, THEN you harass my friend-_AND NOW, _YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT YOU DON'T EVEN CARE?"

Arisu glared and blinked. "Oh go apologize 'urself, it's 'ur fault for not using ze hallway correctly."

At this, the gorilla exploded.

"**YOU BRAAAAAAAT!"**

There was a joyous leap of victory in Arisu's stomach, but it turned sour when she remembered her brother. She gripped Pinky's collar tighter her expression grew serious.

"'Ou said zat 'ou saw another exchange student, _where?" _

Pink-boy raised his hands in defense. "Hey, hey now relax. I'll tell ya where that weird guy went."

Arisu's eyes narrowed. _**"Weird?" **_

Pinky gave a nervous laugh.

"AH-hehe… no, well…he's with Okumura…"

"_WHO?"_

_He is wiz someone? Do not tell me… _

"Okumura, he's a student… He said he was going to show the guy around school-"

"WHERE DID THEY GO?"

"Ok! Ok! Geez, relax, I saw them go towards the courtyard."

Arisu released the student and once again bolted down the hallway. Gorilla-boy called out, but this time she did not answer. She was too concerned with her brother… he was taken by some stranger again. How many times had this happened? How many times was he nearly killed? Whoever this Okumura was…she would destroy him.

_**She would not allow her brother to greet the face in the water. **_


	5. Chapter 4: Awkwardness and Glasses

**A/N:** OH MY GOSH! :D I want to thank The Fifth Champion, Hartanna, and Japanese Duck for reading and commenting! THANK YOU SO MUUUCHHH! It means a lot! I'm also ecstatic that you like my OCs! Thank you! ^^ It seems like Rin's chapter is the favorite. Here comes another one!

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><p><strong>Out of all the situations Rin Okumura was put into…<strong>

He was never once stark naked in front of a complete stranger… well…he was shirtless in front of his fellow classmates…once…but this was worse. However, the one Rin felt bad for was Aidyn, not himself. He didn't want the poor guy's first day of school to be like this…

Either way…**it happened.**

And…they would have to deal with it.

It all started that afternoon, when Rin was showing the new guy around school. Hallway after hallway, classroom after classroom; the teenager kept a large grin on his face, and with bursts of uncontrollable energy, nearly dragged Aidyn all over True Cross.

"See this! This is the cafeteria! Real big huh!"

"These are classrooms! They're big too! Hey! Maybe we'll have class together!"

"Don't worry about it! You'll make a lot of friends! The people here are great! Hahaha!"

_Keep in mind that this was the same Rin Okumura who beat three punks senseless earlier._

Although he could not understand a word Rin said, Aidyn listened closely to the sound of the teenager's voice. The student was slightly more comfortable than he was before, convinced that his new acquaintance would not hurt him.

Rin rambled on and on, nervously, not really expecting a response. Perhaps he was trying too hard? He was happy to have made a new friend. He'd never say it to anyone, but the truth was Rin was kinda lonely lately. Everyone was freaked out that he was the son of Satan…

Including Sheimi…

…Not that he blamed her…or any of them.

_**Rin had no idea what would happen if this new guy found out.**_

**But – **_**he wouldn't –so –what was the problem? **_

The two spent an hour or so wondering the school and observing empty classrooms and fancy hallways with elevators. At this point, there was nothing much to write about, it was pretty much the same thing…Rin speaking nervously and Aidyn timidly nodding.

"And this is the Chem-stry…chem….uh-we do a lot of science stuff here-so that's cool! (Not that I understand any of the stuff!)"

He patted Aidyn's back, remembering to be gentle. Aidyn, for the first time, smiled at Rin. Yeah –it was a nervous smile. Yeah –he was still hunched and shaking –but…it was a start-right? It was a while…since Rin felt like he had done something right.

_Once upon a time, there was a thug who'd get into fights everyday and couldn't hold down a job…_

_Now he was helping some guy out….._

_It felt good. _

Aidyn's small moment of comfort was short-lived. The adolescent heard shuffling outside the science lab. At this, he squeaked and stumbled backwards. Rin managed to catch him by the upper arm.

"Whoa hey! –Careful, it's just other students…"

Rin felt the boy's trembling beneath his grip. _Why's he so scared of people?_ Rin was going to find out. He walked towards the door and peeked his head out. The young man's heart thumped hard in his chest, sweat trickled down his brow.

"H-_hey! _I-I know these guys! That's Suguro, Shima and Konekomaru!"

Should he go up to them? They were probably still afraid of him…but they wouldn't hold anything against Aidyn… right? Rin stumbled out of the classroom.

"H-hey! Hey guys! Er-how's it goin'?"

Konekomaru froze in his tracks, traumatized. Suguro stopped for a split second, shocked, then his expression hardened into rage. He stormed passed Rin, trying to the best of his ability to ignore him. The only one who responded was Shima.

" 'Sup!"

Konekomaru gasped and grabbed his friend's sleeve, he whispered something that sounded like "Don't talk to him…"

Rin's heart sunk, but he did not give up.

"I-uh-want you guys to meet someone…"

The two looked up and stared at Rin, even Suguro stopped and turned around. Rin jogged excitedly into the classroom. The next moment must've seemed very strange to the three guys; there was a collection of strange squeaks and shuffling.

"N….no!…..No….no…"

"Hey come-_on_, _come on-_there's nothing to be scared of…they're cool guys…come on-_ak." _

Rin managed to drag Aidyn out into the hallway. Like earlier, the adolescent clung onto him hopelessly.

"This is Aidyn…he's new here."

There was a long silence in the hall. Each of them stared. Their eyes were wide-locked on _Aidyn. _They looked at the guy the same way they would look at _him._

_What the hell is going on?_

Suguro stormed away, the sound of his footsteps heavy…rage… Konekomaru squeezed his eyes shut and bolted passed Rin. Shima stood there, helpless… sweat covered his face. His mouth twitched open, the guy fumbled for words.

"I-heh-you see…I should-uh-uh-_catch-up_-with-the-uh-the-the-the-_other guys!_"

And with that…Shima ran off the other way…

_WHAT THE HELL?_

Rin's voice echoed through the hallway "WHOA, WHOA-_HEY!_ What was that all about?"

But no one answered….the hall was empty…

Rin rubbed the back of his head and turned towards Aidyn.

"Uh…Heheh….eh…hey listen, it's not you it's me, I-"

Rin stopped speaking…he was surprised to see Aidyn calm…the guy's eyes were dull, staring ahead into nothing. Despite the grave expression, the shivering boy still clung onto Rin, his face half-covered by the teenager's jacket…

"Uh….are you….okay?..."

The Aidyn responded softly. "Oh…..kaay…"

Rin had no idea what the hell was going on. First, every punk on the street wanted to hurt this guy. Then, Suguro, Shima, and Konekonaru, three real cool guys, act all weird around him… What the hell did _he_ do?

"Brother?"

Rin and Aidyn both screamed at the mysterious voice.

"_!"_

Rin felt Aidyn's grip tighten on his sleeve - no longer calm. They both whipped around to see the one and only Yukio Okumura, Rin's younger brother, in the flesh. Yes, the guy must've been pretty mysterious to appear out of nowhere like that. Rin believed that the source of all his mysteriousness and coolness came from his glasses…but…that was a different story…and completely unrelated to the moment.

"Y-Y-YUKIO? Where did you come from? (Can you turn invisible or something?)"

Yukio stared with shiny glasses that didn't show his eyes. He once again displayed his so-called "mysteriousness." _If only he didn't have his glasses…then he'd be powerless…_ Aright - alright - alright, enough with the glasses thing, let's get on with the story…

"I saw the other students running out of the hall…so I came to see what was wrong…(Invisible? Of all the things you've thought of…)"

Rin got all flustered.

"U-uh n-nothing's wrong! I was just showing Aidyn around!"

He gestured towards his new friend. Yukio glanced at the kid, then at Rin.

"Where have you been?"

"H-huh?"

"Where were you?"

"W-well uh-"

Yukio's voice hardened. "You _snuck _out didn't you?"

"E-ehhhh…_No. _I-I-I"

"_Rin._ You've blatantly ignored True Cross orders. You honestly don't understand what you're getting yourself into."

Okay, now Rin was pissed. "_Okay fine! _But be more _grateful! _All I did was go to the grocery store to get…"

Rin looked down at his empty hand to find no carton of milk…He totally forgot to go the store… His attention completely shifted after he saw Aidyn being attacked. Yukio continued to stare…coldly…he must've been real stressed out. No matter, Rin was ready to give him the slip. He put his hand on Aidyn's shoulder and began to nudge him forward.

"Oh…well…ah..haha…nice seeing ya little brother. I'm gonna show Aidyn here a bit more of the school so-"

There was a _CA-SHACK _sound behind Rin. His new friend yelped. It was Yukio, his gun held firmly in front of him. Rin's voice deepened and grew serious.

"Whoa- whoa - _hey…_what's the meaning of this Yukio? What the hell are you doing?"

His kid brother responded swiftly.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you leave…the two of you have been possibly exposed."

"_Exposed?"_

"_Yes, exposed t_o a deadly plague. Now, if you will come with me brother, we need to first burn your clothing."

"_HEEEEEEHHHHH?"_

"I'm serious."

_A plague…? SINCE WHEN? Why doesn't anyone tell me about these things-DAMNIT! Is everyone okay? _

"Okay, okay, okay-_fine. _Just put that _thing_ away will ya? You're scaring Aidyn."

Yukio lowered his gun. How strange it must've been to Aidyn, a foreign student, to run into a fellow classmate with a gun.

"Please follow me, we must isolate you immediately."

**That was how the awkwardness began. **


	6. Chapter 5: The Hypothesis and the Threat

**A/N: **Ah Yukio and his boring rants about demon science in this chapter…

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><p><strong>Possibly the most lethal substance in existence was the blood of Rin Okumura.<strong>

And as a doctor, and Rin's brother… It was Yukio's sole responsibility to handle the sample with caution. Slowly, the teen poured the blood from a flask and into a large beaker. He observed the material carefully. There appeared to be no separation of red blood cells and plasma, a good sign. However, there had been cases where the victims would catch the virus early and, at first glance, their blood appeared normal. Due to this, Yukio needed to perform more intricate tests on the sample.

_He snuck out….I SHOULD have known he was going to sneak out…Now Rin might be…_

The doctor swallowed back his feelings of failure and began his work. _I need to focus. _He took the beaker and poured roughly three drops into another glass filled with a clear liquid. This fluid was plasma taken from previous victims. The test was meant to detect traces of the virus in its early stage. If the blood turned black the moment it came into contact with the substance, the tested patient was infected. Logically, clean blood would take longer to be contaminated by the plasma. This was why the substance would remain red if not diseased.

However, as Yukio suspected, the sample of Rin's blood didn't react normal to the liquid. The moment they touched, the mixture burst into large blue flames. Startled, not expecting such a large reaction, the young doctor stumbled backwards and hit the floor.

"_G-GYAAA!"_

However, as the flames died down, they destroyed nearly half of Yukio's equipment.

Melted beakers and flasks covered the table. A hypothesis was born; Rin could never contract the virus. Even if the plague entered his body, his blood would burn out the virus before it took effect. The thought was sensible; Rin carried the blood of Satan, the god of Gehenna. No matter what demon caused the plague, none were powerful enough to overcome the blue flame… It felt as though pressure released from Yukio's shoulders…his big brother was clean…he was safe…

_As for Rin's friend…_

Fortunately the flask containing Aidyn's blood was too far to be damaged by the flames. It remained perfectly intact. However, due to the destruction of his equipment, Yukio could not perform the same test that he used on Rin's blood. Instead, he was forced to resort to a C.T.A. (Coal. Tar. Analysis.). In this, a doctor would give coal tars (the lowest form of demon) direct access to the patient's blood.

If the demons were attracted to the blood, the patient was infected. Not much was known about the virus. However, exorcists hypothesized that a coal tar's attraction to such material was due to a high concentration of water in the blood, hence, the plasma. Yukio usually preferred methods other than C.. There was a high margin for error in such tests. The coal tars were living, which meant they could react differently depending on their surroundings. A response to dampness of a room might be mistaken as a test result.

However, he had no choice in this situation. Yukio rummaged through an old wooden closet and retrieved a jar of coal tars from the far back. He placed the glass container on the stone table and opened the lid a crack. From there, Yukio drizzled Aidyn's blood down the left wall.

_The following observations could be described as…..bizarre…_

There was no attraction to the blood…yet…the coal tars' behavior was…. unnerving… The doctor observed as the tiny black creatures slammed into the sides of the jar, bounced off, then slammed again. Their movement became more rapid by the second. The demons clumped together and gave long, drawn out squeaks….

…However, they did not seem to be afraid…

_**The coal tars… appeared to be… killing… each other…**_

Yes, it was true-the small demons were in a state of bloodlust. Each one devoured the other, ripping off one's tail, or clawing out one's eyes…It was truly a strange reaction that Yukio had never seen before… Aidyn…the boy was certainly foreign. He was most likely a L'Écarlate, a sibling of his colleague Isaac. If so Isaac was hiding something from him. This boy, there was something strange about him…Yukio remembered feeling…an irrational sense of revulsion at the sight of the student… This and the coal tars' violent reaction was certainly suspicious... Did this boy have a demon-caused condition? Is it a new strain of the virus?

"Are you hard at work, Mr. Okumura?"

Yukio flinched. The voice held no accent…it wasn't Isaac. However it was familiar…and could have only belonged to one person. The young man whipped around to address his superior. However, he could not hide the startled expression on his face.

"S-sir!"

Arthur Auguste Angel responded to Yukio's greeting with an order.

"Sit down, Mr. Okumura."

The adolescent retrieved a chair and followed the command.

"Sir, I-"

Arthur raised his hand and Yukio ceased speaking. Sweat coated the back of the teen's neck. _What was the Paladin doing here? _Instantaneously, Yukio's mind jumped to the wellbeing of his brother. _Does he know about Rin sneaking out…..? _The doctor noticed that by sitting, he was forced to look up at his superior: the position was much more than a coincidence. Auguste placed his arms firmly behind his back and began to speak.

"I suppose you're wondering why someone of my rank traveled all the way from the Vatican to see you."

"…."

The Paladin made it sound like he took a long trip to get to Japan, meanwhile Yukio knew that he probably just used one of the exorcist keys to get here. Auguste Angel was merely a door away from this country. However, Yukio would never announce that in front of such a high-up official. A tactless statement such as '_Yeah, sure you traveled far with that key in your pocket' _was something only his _brother_ would say… Yukio had knots in his stomach… Arthur continued to speak, his voice cold, merciless, yet, condescending all at once.

"As Paladin it is my duty to carry out the orders of the Grigori."

Yukio nodded, Angel continued.

"As of this moment their attention is focused directly on the epidemic. Every exorcist from each corner of the earth, containing a doctor meister, is searching for a cure. This is far more than a regular task to them…. it is a challenge, a game of glory. Any one who succeeds will be written down as the greatest doctor in history… A rather unsettling situation…"

"Sir….I don't believe I follow…"

_What is he saying…? _

The Paladin turned his back to Yukio.

"Mr. Okumura, there is a very high concentration of the plague in this country, correct?"

"Y-yes…"

"Not only this country, but this _area_, _True Cross Town. This_ section is the most contaminated."

"Yes sir but-"

"Hmm, well, don't you find it strange that the attention of the Vatican, and every exorcist alike is focused entirely on this _one. sole. area? _Shifting their prime goal –Assiah's wellbeing – to this child's play?_"_

Yukio dug his mind for a response equally as cold.

"Yes sir, while I admit that the intentions of certain exorcists may not be as honorable as others, isn't the virus still a threat to Assiah?"

Angel remained stern and patronizing.

"Well, if it is a _distraction _from _Satan _like I assume, then _yes, _it is a large threat."

"_W-what?" _

Yukio jolted up in his chair.

"The virus?...A _distraction_?"

The adolescent gasped, finally realizing what the Paladin was implying. Yukio stood from his chair.

"_WAIT! The Vatican doesn't suspect Rin has anything to do with this, do they?"_

Auguste whipped around in a flash. With one hand he shoved Yukio down by the left shoulder. As the doctor crashed into the chair, it collapsed beneath his sudden weight. The Paladin did not release his grip from the teen. Instead he spoke low in Yukio's ear.

"No…_they _don't suspect your brother, but _I _do…"

"….Are…are you suggesting that _Rin _is the cause of the virus?"

"You are correct Mr. Okumura. It is perfectly logical, the precious child of Satan providing a diversion while his father secretly plans an attack."

Yukio gritted his teeth and struggled upward, his hand twitched towards his gun. However, Angel's grip kept him down. The young doctor forced himself to remember that this was the _Paladin, _the most powerful exorcist…any act of aggression against him would be disastrous. _What happened to having tact?_

"_Arg!-_ My brother is innocent...Besides, it was the Grigori's decision to keep Rin Okumura alive. He is suppose to take the exorcist exam in four months… They _ordered_ us to use him as a weapon"

Auguste Angel stuck his nose up and smirked.

"Did you not hear that I have said? I told you that as of right now, the Grigori is focused entirely on the plague…In fact, the exact words that they told me was…'Destroy the virus at all costs…' "

Yukio grew silent…

"Mr. Okumura, you've begun your training at age seven…many consider you a prodigy in Demon Pharmaceuticals."

"…."

"If this is the truth then I suggest you use your knowledge to the best of your ability and find a cure…_In four months…"_

Angel released his grip from Yukio and the doctor slumped to the floor. Then just before the Paladin left the room he turned his head and spoke one last time.

"If not, I will direct my orders on your brother. I'll have him dragged down into a lab and have him used as a _guinea-pig _for a cure, understood? I suggest you keep him on a tighter leash this time. He better not run out like he did this morning."

Angel left the room, the sound of his heavy footsteps faded away into oblivion.

Meanwhile Yukio sat there on the floor…staring into space…..

_**The ravenous coal tars were long forgotten…**_


	7. Chapter 6: Paranoia

Thank you Hartanna and wildkurofang for commenting! Haha, yes, the Paladin is a bastard, isn't he? I appreciate you saying this – I tried as hard as I could to make him a jerk! And I truly appreciate your interest in Aidyn, thank you Hartanna!

So here's an Arisu chapter. It's kinda short.

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><p><em><strong>As expected Arisu L<strong>__**'Écarlate had no recollection of this morning's events.**_

The only thing the girl absorbed was that gorillas misuse hallways, pink people exist, and that her little brother was out of her sight and in the possession of some "Okumura" guy.

Unfortunately for Arisu, True Cross Academy was big…and she was small….

_very _small…

4'11 to be exact...

Even so, the girl would not allow something _stupid_ like size get in the way of finding Aidyn. In fact, Arisu never really thought of her height as a problem. As long as you could aim beneath the belt, what was the problem?...What the author's attempting to state was that for a character of delicate features, Arisu was…well…

..._**a bulldozer**_…

As a foreigner, Arisu had a twittering accent that might have seemed innocent. Her littleness made her appear sweet, almost like a pleasant person…if it wasn't for her being so blunt, or tactless, or saying such horrible – _horrible_ things to people – and not caring…

Well…Arisu would have been sweet…if she wasn't _**Arisu.**_

Now that we know more about this character, we can direct our focus on the plot at hand – her missing best word to describe this girl's attitude in this situation was… _psychopath._ She barged into every classroom and every dorm imaginable. It made no difference to her whether it was the boy's dorm or the girl's. Some people were shocked and yelled, but she only cursed back (in French) and ran off.

It was not until three hours later, at six, that Arisu made the fateful decision to check out the _abandoned _boy's dormitory. Her brother Isaac told her previously about it - she didn't know why – but she did know that he absolutely forbade her from going anywhere near the place (so, naturally she was going to check it out at some point…haha..).

However, she did not plan (or _want_ ) to see the place with the fear of her brother being injured… _or killed_. It was _abandoned, _as in _alone_, as in _destitute_, as in _no one would be around to hear her brother scream. _Thissent chills through her_. _Not that anyone would help Aidyn if he did scream, people were heartless- _they were demons with self-righteousness. _They didn't care about Aidyn, they never did…

This sent a spark of fury through Arisu. She bolted in the direction of her destination.

_**The corpse became nearly one with the lake -**_

_**Slime and algae violated its form -**_

_**SEDUCED the dead with a sick twisted pleasure -**_

_**Tiny-scaled creatures nipped at the remnants - **_

_**Took part in the gluttonous appetite -**_

_**Oh yes – it was by accident that the little girl found the body… right? –**_

_**She'd seen it grimace and crawl out of the pond with a sluggish nature –**_

_**Only its right arm and torso remained – **_

_**Who took the rest? –**_

Arisu finally reached the dorm with her short damn legs. It truly was…abandoned.

_Fr*ck!_

The dumb halls were empty, the stupid doors were cracked, and some of the f*cking paint was chipping. The softest whisper could be heard echoing throughout the building. Surely this was a perfect place for Aidyn's abductor. It didn't matter though… Arisu was prepared for the worst.…she was always prepared…

The knife in the girl's boot told her so.

And she'd always have it when her little brother was in danger.

He usually was…

_Where is 'e?_

**Suddenly a thought struck Arisu.** She panted hard as she ran up stairs and through empty hallways.

_Room 559… Room 563….Room 566…_

**What if her brother was dead?**

_Room 573…Room 577….Room…_

**What if she found Aidyn and his corpse lay stretched across the cold floor?**

_Pant - Pant – Gasp –_

**If that was the case, then someone else would die too – the kidnapper… Okumura… and Arisu would dedicate her entire life to his goal - she would **_**tear**_** out his eyes – she'd **_**cut off**_** his limbs she would make him suffer – **_**she would-**_

_Room 602._

The door was closed…suspicious. She reached out to the doorknob, but her arm froze. She was afraid.

_Aidyn… Aidyn….'ou cannot be dead…'ou…cannot….I wont let 'ou._

But if that was the case, why did Arisu let him out of her sight in the first place? She was a failure…a disgrace of a sister- no better than this Okumura bastard. Her fingers twitched towards the knob. _Take it! JUST TAKE IT! _

Suddenly, the girl heard a voice on the other end of the door…

"Hey Aidyn listen…I'm real-uh-"

Arisu flinched, rage engulfing her. She grabbed hold of the door and swung it wide open.

The girl froze.

_**She did not in the least expect something like this.**_

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><p><strong>AN:** Yep, she's crazy…

Oh! Btw! Before I started writing this I made a test poster for Spurius. Feel free to check it out if you want to! Just take out the spaces and plug this into the web address. Much appreciated!

http: / / fullmetalfan112. deviantart. com/ gallery /34501122#/ d4iryc9


	8. Chapter 7: MORE Awkwardness

I truly appreciate your comments and interest in Arisu, Wildkurofang and Hartanna! Thank you so much! I'm ecstatic that someone made a parallel between Arisu's overprotective nature and Rin's! And YAAAYY! She is crazy!

I hope you guys enjoy the next chapters!

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><p><strong>Before the previous events had followed, Rin Okumura stood uneasily in his dormitory.<strong>

"Uh…"

Sweat trickled down his neck – it was hot…_really hot_. After Yukio dragged him and Aidyn to the room, the two were forced to strip. Their clothes were gonna be burned. Rin's kid brother also took blood from them. He must've been in a hurry… because he didn't even think about Rin's tail, which the teenager now held tighly behind his back. The last thing Rin needed was for Aidyn to see it… though… truthfully, he was more focused on the virus…

_Is everyone all right?_

_We ran into Suguro, Shima, and Konekomaru before… _

_I hope they didn't get sick!_

Rin heard shaky breathing in the corner – Aidyn. The kid sat in a ball shivering; his head was buried in trembling knees. Rin felt bad… This must be really weird for him. The poor guy had no idea what was going on. When Yukio went to take blood, Aidyn screamed at the sight of the needle. The kid was afraid of everything. What disturbed Rin the most was that Aidyn didn't even struggle to get away. Well – yeah, Yukio had to get the blood… but the guy just stood there…. It was like… Aidyn _knew _he couldn't defend himself…

_Maybe he gave up fighting a long time ago…_

There was a sinking feeling in Rin's gut; he didn't want Aidyn to feel that way. Rin nervously rubbed the back of his neck. This _was_ awkward. They were both guys and everything, but the two were….naked – not that it was their fault or anything… Even so, he could tell Aidyn was afraid. _Great,_ Rin thought. _I just lost a friend before he even really knew me… He must hate me… _ Rin wanted to say something, anything to make the boy feel better. He opened his mouth.

"Hey, Aidyn, listen…I'm real-uh-"

Just then, the door busted wide open.

"!"

Rin screamed, "RRRHHHAAAHHH?"

The loud noise came from the mouth a small looking girl with tan skin. She had straight, honey-colored hair and weird yellow eyes. The girl might not have been bad looking, if it wasn't for her annoying scream. She looked at Aidyn and ran towards him. The girl started speaking, but Rin didn't understand what she was saying…

_Oh! She must be speaking France! _

Once again, he meant French.

The stranger ranted in this language as she gestured towards Aidyn's bruise marks (which he got those from those punks earlier). The boy spoke back frantically. It was the most Rin had heard the guy talk. After a while, the psycho girl turned to Rin with a blank yet clearly deranged expression. She covered Aidyn's eyes with the back of her hand. Suddenly he remembered he was – well… indecent?

"_UHWWHHAA! – Uh s–s- sorry!"_

He desperately covered himself with a blanket on a nearby bed.

_Why the hell didn't he do that before? _

"Uh – I can explain – you see – there was this thing – and –_wait _– can you understand me?"

The girl opened her mouth for a response Rin was not expecting.

" 'Ou – _FREAKIN' SEXUAL 'ARAAZZER!" _

"_HUH? WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" _

Aidyn squeaked at the girl. "_No! No! No! No!" _ He held onto her arm.

She ignored the boy and continued yelling. " It iz _exactly what 'OU are! A PREDATOR!" _

"_WWWWHHHHHAAAAAAATTTTT? For your information, there was a virus and we had to strip! Didn't you hear about it?" _

It didn't occur to Rin that he himself did not know about the epidemic till an hour ago…. So what would make this girl know?

She now spoke in a cruel taunting tone. _"Reeely? Iz zaaat so? Well then if 'ou are not a predator zen why didn't 'ou dress into ze clothes in zat drawer?"_

"UUUUHHH…"

It was a good question. The truth was Rin so preoccupied with the safety of his friends that he lost some logic and forgot that he was in his own room. He tried to explain this…

"It all happened so fast and- "

"_PREDATOR!" _

"_HEY! _CUT IT OUT! I'M NOT A PREDATOR! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU ANYWAY?"

"Who am I? I am zis boy's big sister- and I am going to _KICK 'UR ASS!" _

The girl got up, but Aidyn yelped and hung onto her. He was practically hugging her.

"_No - NOOOOOOO!" _

_**Sister?... She was his….**_

"_HOLD ON A SECOND!" _Rin exploded

"IF YOU'RE AIDYN'S SISTER, THEN WHERE THE _HELL _WERE YOU WHEN HE WAS BEING ATTACTED BY THREE PUNKS _ALONE_ IN A FREAKIN' ALLYWAY?"

Shock, guilt and rage covered the girl's face, then, it changed to horror. She whipped around to Aidyn and began speaking in the other language again. Of course, Rin did not get anything they were saying, but he did hear Aidyn say his name... Maybe the kid was defending him? It didn't matter though, fury boiled up inside Rin. This girl – this _bitch_, how could she act so high and mighty when her little brother nearly got killed?

Aidyn's sister was quiet for two seconds, confused, and then she glared at Rin. He glared back, with the same hardened expression she gave. The room may have been silent, but the air held such heavy electricity that it could barbecue anything in seconds. Finally Rin spoke again, his voice as pisses as before.

"WELL? Are you gonna tell me? WHERE WERE YOU?"

Poor Aidyn was doing the best he could to stop the fight.

"No! Nooo! Rin! Arisu!"

Unfortunately, the boy's timid voice was ignored. His sister laid out a biting response.

"What ze 'ell do 'ou _think _I waz doing? _Bastard?" _

"Well it seemed to ME like you were out doin' whatever while your little brother was getting hurt!"

"What – _what? _'OU'RE ze one zat is _ALL_ OUT ZERE! _NAKED_ BOY!"

"Huh? – _GYYYYAAAAAAAHHHH!_"

There was an expression of absolute triumph in the girl's face, then, it suddenly changed to confusion. She spoke again, this time in a low creepy voice.

"What is zat behind your back?"

_OH CRAP! _Rin thought. _She noticed me holding my tail! _

The sister's face returned to the deranged expression she had earlier. The girl moved out of Aidyn's feeble grip and walked towards Rin.

"_WHAT do 'ou 'ave behind your back?" _

"N-Nothing!"

"Zen let me see your right 'and."

"And? – wait – No!"

"Zen what do 'ou 'AVE back zere?"

_Why the hell does she care so much? _Perhaps the sister thought that he had a knife in his possession, but this did not occur to Rin until later. She was getting closer and closer. Rin wrapped his waist even tighter with the blanket. _Crap! CRAP! _

"Stay back! I said it was nothing!"

"It doz not _LOOK _like nozthing!"

On the word 'nozthing' the girl pounced on Rin. Aidyn squeaked helplessly as he attempted to pull her off. It was a good thing Rin had super–human strength. No matter how hard she tried to pull his arm out from behind, it was no use.

However, despite his fortunate strength, Rin Okumura still had the worst luck in the world.

For it was at that moment that Yukio showed up in the doorway.

"….."

His little brother was in complete silence as he stared blankly ahead. Flustered, Rin tried to find words to say.

"H – hey Yukio…. This isn't what it – she just – _DON'T TELL SHEIMI!"_

In response to this bizarre statement, Yukio Okumura pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Aidyn's sister took a different approach. She spoke to Rin's brother in a blunt monotone voice.

"Ah good, a teacher, please use 'ur gun and arrest zis boy, monsieur. 'E is a preditor and kidnapped my brothzer."

_Does she not realize how WEIRD this moment is!_

Rin's brother responded in the only way he could.

"Miss, Mr. L'Écarlate, your brother is waiting for you in the hallway."

"… What about apprehending zis boy?"

"I'll take care of him, you don't want to keep your brother waiting."

Rin grunted, _what the hell did he mean' take care of me'? I did nothing wrong! _ Aidyn's sister got up reluctantly; she was probably disappointed that she couldn't find out what was behind Rin. The girl mumbled something in France (French again!). It didn't sound very nice.

She walked towards the other side of the room, took another blanket and placed it on Aidyn. She said a few words to her brother, nicer than her mumbling. Then, the two walked towards the hallway. Aidyn gave one last helpless look at Rin before he left. Now, Aidyn's look might've meant 'Please don't be angry with me', but Rin took it as a plea for help. The door closed behind them.

Pissed, Rin glared ahead.

"Geeez…what a hippo!" He meant _hypocrite._

"That bitch just barges in out of nowhere and – "

Yukio broke him off.

"What do you think you're doing brother?"

"Huh?"

"You shouldn't be causing trouble with the foreigners."

"_Hey! _SHE'S the one that caused it! And need I remind you that I was the one who saved Aidyn before!"

"What?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you? There were these three punks before and I helped Aidyn out - THEN his damn sister showed up and – "

"Try to avoid them from now on Rin."

"_Whaat?" _

Yukio stared coldly. There was definitely something up with him.

"Arisu and Aidyn L'Écarlate come from a well–to-do family in France."

"HUUUUUUNNNH? Wait - you mean they're RICH? Aidyn's RICH?"

"…How else would they attend the school? _You're _an exception remember?"

Rin rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Uh…..yeah….you're right…"

Yukio continued.

"More importantly their eldest brother, Isaac L'Écarlate, is the heir to the family. He is also a famous exorcist with a doctor meister. He was sent here to help with the epidemic."

"Huh? A famous exorcist? I never heard of him."

"That's because you don't _study, _Rin."

"Why you mole-face!"

"To be perfectly honest I don't know much about the L'Écarlates, but I do know they have a large influence on True Cross. Think about the large funds they must donate."

"_Hmph. _ So that girl's a spoiled brat. _That _explains a lot."

"_Listen to what I am saying_. The Vatican can't afford to loose such a large money-outlet, not to mention we need the oldest L'Écarlate's knowledge."

Rin grumbled under his breath.

"I bet this Isaac guy is just as bad as that bitch…"

"It doesn't matter if he is, brother, we need him…For everyone's sake. "

"I guess…"

"Brother?"

"Hm?"

"You're grounded."

"WHAAAAAAAT?"

"You've caused enough trouble for today."

"EEEHHHHHH? Who do you think you are? And how many times do I have to tell you, four-eyes? It was HER fault! SHE attacked me! AND she stole your blanket!"

Yukio pushed up his glasses.

"First of all, brother, that does not take away from the fact that _you_ snuck out earlier…and second….she took _your _blanket."

Rin looked down at his waist.

"…Oh-uh…you….you want yours back?"

"_**No**__." _


	9. Chapter 8: He Panics

_**September 13**__**th**__**, 2012**_

_**Yukio Okumura **_

_**Research Log: 1 **_

_**I am writing this documentation in order to record all my knowledge on the current epidemic. In the case I am deceased, I wish for another doctor to use this information. **_

_**The official name of the illness is" Noire du sang." **__**The word can be roughly translated into "Blackest Blood," which describes the symptom involving the veins. (The following listed are Noire du sang's full symptoms) **_

_**1) Blackening of the veins**_

_**2) Plasma exposure from the eyes, nose, ears, or any inflicted area **_

_**3) Speaking in bizarre tongues**_

_**4) Violent behavior**_

_**Isaac L'Écarlate was the first Exorcist to use this term. However, the man received no recognition for this. The name has become a form of taboo among other Exorcists. By referring to a patient with such a phrase, one is led to believe there is no hope of recovery**__**. Mr. **__**L'Écarlate**__**is currently assisting the Japanese branch of True Cross.**_

_**Exorcist Shura Kirigakure first reported a sign of "Noire du sang" on October 9**__**th**__**, 2010. She was on a private mission in France during this event. (Reasons for her assignment is unknown) By the time other exorcists appeared, the victim was already dead. There was immediate concern among True Cross. However, after twelve months of study, the investigation died down and life returned to normal. **_

_**Two years later the virus was once again reported, this time by me. On July 2**__**nd**__**, 2012 I was sent to investigate strange Dekalp activity on the outskirts of Kyoto. I traveled in a group of twenty. Most of the exorcists attending were logically tamers. However, a doctor is essential to these types of assignments. He is expected to act in the case that the demons studied were poisonous. Unfortunately, we all underestimated what "poisonous" could've meant. **_

_**We split into four groups of five in order to cover more ground. Finally, my team found the creatures. Out of all the studies that have been written, all the books that have been read, I had never come across such strange behavior in Dekalps. I will attempt to describe them. **_

_**These plant demons are usually known for being mischievous and highly talkative. However, the ones we observed were limp and silent. They were dark in color and sagged against other vegetation. I quickly went to take a sample from one of these creatures. Using a scalpel, I sliced into one of its stems. As I did so, a black fluid poured from its cells. Immediately after the cut, the Dekalp turned to faced me. As it moved, other parts of its tissue snapped and black liquid continued to flow. **_

_**The demon's words still puzzle me. **_

_**It said: "Mother is calling" then fell to the ground and died. **_

_**I heard screams from my other colleagues. They were nowhere in sight. I searched for hours and lastly found them torn apart by the roots of other plants. However, there was one exorcist that was still living. I cut the man free from the roots and began treating him. **_

_**I immediately saw symptoms similar to that of the Dekalps. The man's eyes were "black shot" (they were stricken with dark veins). My former colleague had lost his senses and attempted attack me. Quickly, I sedated him with one of my bullets and called for back up from the Vatican. The man died three days later. Out of the twenty that attended, I am the sole survivor of the mission.**_

_**I cannot help but feel that whatever demon is responsible for "Noire du sang" spared me that day. I was extremely close to one of the infected Dekalps and came into contact with the black fluid multiple times. Despite this, I did not become disease-ridden like the others. This alarms me to a certain extent, for I do not know if the demon wants something from me. However, this is only a theory. My infected colleague did attack me after all. If I was truly an asset, why kill me? This raises the question of whether those diagnosed are under the control of the demon. **_

_**Either way, many others have suffered from the illness since then. At first, it spread only through plants. (Due to this, more tamers where sent, properly suited this time.) However, "Noire du sang" has now begun to plague the homes of urban life. True Cross is panicked and now looks to me to find a cure. In order to do this, I must review every victim with a fine-tooth comb, starting with my ex-colleague -**_

* * *

><p>Yukio Okumura's hand grew numb from writing. The teenager unraveled his fingers and allowed his pen to roll across the table. He sat there numb…staring at the page. Will this help him? It <em>must. <em>It _will. _Organization is key…Yukio needed to remember that. He couldn't afford to panic; it brought down his work ethic. And as of this moment, the teenager had to be absolutely _perfect_ in his study. There was no time for mistakes, no time for hesitation, no time for…

The silence of the doctor's study prodded him about the danger ahead. It was inevitable, the Paladin's words were clear:

'_I will direct my orders on your brother.' _

'_I'll have him dragged down into a lab and have him used as a guinea-pig for a cure'_

Instinctively, Yukio thought the worse.

_Rin's going to die-_

_NO! He won't! I'll protect him- I'll –_

_I'm too weak –_

_I PROMISED!_

_I'm too pathetic -_

_HE WON'T DIE!_

The doctor hunched over his worktable, pushing all of his weight onto his right arm. It pressed against the cold stone without mercy, possibly bruising him. Yukio's nails dug into the flesh of his scalp, his teeth gritted with anguish. Tiny beads of blood seeped down his face. Tears were present as well. Some were caught by his lip and drizzled to his tongue. He tasted copper and salt. A sensation his brother might very well feel when he's being torn apart by exorcists.

"_GGRRRAAAAHH!"_

Yukio slammed the side of his fist down onto the table. The impact knocked the boy's glasses to the ground. His nails groped up his head further. Blood continued to travel down his grief-stricken face. What an uncommon sight for such a calm and collected prodigy.

Everything was chaos in the adolescent's mind. As a doctor, a specialist in experimentation, Yukio could imagine in great detail what might be done to his elder brother. It would start with Rin being tranquilized and dragged to a laboratory. After hours lying against the dirty floor he would wake to the painful insertion of needles. Blue flames would spurt from the injection area, resisting the plasma. Straps locking him to the table would be sewn with holy water. Such fabric would burn against his skin like fire….how _ironic. _Perhaps he would even be injected with the water in order to be kept subdued.

And his big brother would certainly scream.

The straps would not stop the exorcists from being forced to hold down his convulsing body. If the infusion of plasma were not enough, they would resort to dissection. Sensibly they would have to keep their test subject alive. So Rin would be forced feel the slicing of his own flesh under the precision of a hot scalpel. More incisions would occur, this time directly onto his organs. They would twist and knot with intense pain beyond believe. Doctors would calmly state that his torment was the only way a child of Satan could contribute to the wellbeing of Assiah.

After endless hours of testing and recording, Rin's half-dead body would be thrown back into his tight cage like an animal. Such a potent hell would last for years, perhaps the rest of his life. There'd be a point when Yukio's big brother would forget entirely about this world. All that would exist was his breathing and the pounding organ in his chest. Such events would shatter his humanity and embrace his demonic nature. If Rin were to escape he'd no longer care for anyone. Rage would engulf his mind and body. Bloodlust would urge him to attack, to kill, to hate.

And Satan would embrace these qualities.

Make Rin his own.

_I've failed…I couldn't protect Rin…They're going to kill him…_

_They're going to kill him…_

_They're going to kill him…_

_But I'd kill them first…._

Yukio knew if he wanted to save his brother, he needed to become calm. Nothing else in the world mattered to him anymore…only the virus….only a cure…. He had to block out all emotion, all remorse. Yukio Okumura used all methods necessary to find a cure. Shaking, the doctor slowly he rose from the table and retrieved his glasses. They slid down the bridge of his nose as he wrote his next lines.

_**Many believe that Rin Okumura is responsible for "Noire du sang." The following pages will prove his innocence. **_


	10. Chapter 9: Steel Handles

_**She was being dragged under by her own selfishness and ignorance. **_

_**But the little girl was too stupid and naïve to understand. **_

_**She wasn't pure.**_

_**She held corruption.**_

_**And that corruption overpowered the child and dug dirty nails into the skin of her neck. **_

_**It was all a joke, right? **_

_**Just innocent humor, right?**_

_**It was fake.**_

_**All was well. **_

Arisu's distant eyes slowly went into focus…She saw orange…blue…. yellow…. It was a fireplace. The young girl stared blankly at the crackling flames, her detached mind stuttering. Where was she? Who was she? Did it matter? Nothing was important. There was no past…. present…or future…only the fire that stood in front of her…only the cushioned chair she sat in…and nobody…..

Reality struck Arisu like a knife.

The girl sucked in a wad of air and stumbled from the chair. The seat fell to the ground, making a loud and irritating sound. Sweating, her eyes darted about the room, observing familiar violet-colored walls and white plush pillows. There was a couch and a red floor.

Arisu knew this place.

She lived in it….

But why the _hell_ was she here? Didn't that teacher tell her Isaac was waiting for her in the hallway? Shouldn't she be in school? _Where was her brother? _

"Aid-"

The girl stumbled on her words, mortified. She blanked out again…she lost her brother AGAIN. Gripping onto the edge of the stone fireplace, she looked above and saw a clock on the hearth; it read 10:00 PM.

"_AAAAIIIDDDYYYYNNN!" _

_10:00 PM? ZAT freakin' late? _ _Ze last zing I remember was being in school zat afternoon….and zat DUMB boy!_

Anxiety swept over her. Arisu faced the doorway, ready to search for Aidyn.

_I WILL protect 'im, I WILL- _

However, before she could even move, the girl found herself face to face with Isaac. Her pompous elder brother stared down at her with stern eyes, physically establishing his right as the "head of the household". Arisu glared as he continued to give the emotionless – I'm – more – mature – than – you – therefore – I'm – not – going – to – look – bothered – by – your – childish – behavior – _FACE_.

_Jack$$,_ Arisu thought to herself spitefully.

After three minutes of silence, Isaac finally spoke first.

(Although the following conversations are in French, they have been translated into English for convenience.)

"For 'eaven sake Arisu, do 'ou reelly need to yell zis late at night?"

Shaking with rage, the girl responded.

"Where IZ 'e?"

"What? I do not know what 'ou are talking about." Isaac said frankly

"_DO NOT LIE!" _

Arisu's brother breathed what was both a snort and a sigh.

"So 'ou shout again? When are 'ou going to _stop _being a child."

The girl gritted her teeth so hard one might think they'd crack into pieces and fall straight out of her mouth…._ charming._

" 'Ou _KNOW what I am talking about." _

Isaac's left eye twitched, a nick in the condescending armor.

"If 'ou are asking about _it – _zen 'ou are better off leaving my sight immediately."

That was enough for Arisu to pounce on him, to pull his hair and spout curses she'd never heard before. However, the sound of frantic footsteps froze the girl in her tracks. Aidyn was standing there shivering behind Isaac, his hands clutched to the side of the doorway, the boy's timid head peaking in. Isaac flinched and stumbled backwards with disgust.

"DID I NOT SAY TO KEEP ZAT ZING IN ITS ROOM!"

Aidyn yelped and bolted away, his nervous feet pattering up the staircase. Arisu ran to the doorway.

"_Aidyn – AIDYN!" _

Fury boiling inside, the girl grabbed the closest object she could find – a _pillow –_and threw it at Isaac.

" 'OU DAMN – _BASTARD!" _

Her brother dodged the pillow with ease, which, of course, would not have hurt the man even if it did hit him. His voice returned to its same cold and patronizing tone, so fast it was almost eerie.

"Ungrateful child. 'Ow long do 'ou intend on throwing zese tantrums?"

" '_OW LONG DO 'OU INTEND ON TREATING MY BROZER LIKE 'E'S A MONSTER?"_

This time Isaac kept his composure.

"_Brozer? _'Onestly child, 'ou and your _ridiculous _imagination. Your name might be ze Japanese version of _Alice – _a strange choice on your mozer's part – but, it iz no excuse to live in such a _fantasy world _where monsters are one's family_. _"

"Aidyn iz NOT a _fantasy_! 'E iz my brozer! And 'e iz yours too! Bastard! 'Ou act like 'ou are zis _responsible _caretaker, but 'ze truth iz 'ou do not give a _crap _about Aidyn and I! 'Ou only care about reputation! 'Ze only reason why 'ou associate 'ourself wiz us iz because mozer iz too busy and left us in 'our care!"

"I am quite busy myself Arisu. 'Ou know zat iz not ze only reason I look out for 'ou and brought 'ou to zis place."

"…It still 'as to do wiz reputation."

"Perhaps, but let us be 'onest child. Ze youngest child of ze L'Écarlate bloodline 'aving a _mental breakdown _iz _quite _ze dirty smudge on my family."

"_AIDYN _IZ ZE YOUNGEST! 'E IZ AN L'ÉCARLATE _TOO!" _

Isaac continued

"And a smudge must be covered. Tell me Arisu….what 'ave 'ou done wiz ze doorknobs?"

"….What? Where ze _'ell _did _zat _come from?"

"Do not lie _girl_, I'm aware zat 'ou once again screwed off and removed almost every single doorknob in zis house. Which iz a pity: zis dwelling was built to mimic ze fine elegance of ze Victorian era, each door knob was crafted with fine silver or sturdy iron…and _'ou _go and dismantle zem all."

'_E talks like I actually give a crap about DOORKNOBS. _The girl thought viciously.

By the way, it was true, about Arisu removing the knobs. As a matter of fact, this was the second time this month she pulled such a stunt. It was not out of spite (though Arisu did love to mess with her brother) but out of fear and hatred that she did this. The girl simply despised such objects…closed doors.

_She wanted to make sure Isaac never locked her away again. _

" 'ou 'ave no proof it waz me."

"_Reelly?_ Zen what iz _zis?_"

The brother held out a screwdriver; Arisu swallowed back stubbornly. She picked her mind for the best comeback possible.

_He…had been…in…her…ROOM. _She tried to swallow back her revulsion, the bitter-tasting loath.

" 'Ou are _zat _DUMB zat 'ou do not know what a _tool_ iz?"

The comment did not affect Isaac in the least. Instead, he continued to stare.

"I found zis under your bed along wiz a bunch of screws."

"….."

"What did 'ou do wiz ze doorknobs?"

_She buried them in the backyard. _

"…."

The man sighed with irritation, folded his arms and leaned back.

" 'Ou are an _intolerable _child! I thought zat sending 'ou to school would distract 'ou from such idiocy."

"I never _asked _'ou to take me to school! I do not care for sitting in a room full of DUMB kids zat only care for zemselves!"

Isaac turned away and left the room, but the girl could still hear his voice from afar.

"Zere iz no negotiating wiz 'ou. Go back to your room, I expect 'ou to be up and leaving for school by 7:00 AM."

" '_AH! _I WON ZE ARGUMENT!_"_

Although overcome with triumph, Arisu was still going to resist him. She wanted to stay and remain planted on the second floor of the manor. However, the thought of her weak and frightened brother pushed her mind away from the rebellion. She left the room and ran up the _stupid _staircase that tried to make itself look cool by winding into endless circles. The girl dashed down the long hall full of mirrors and paintings until she reached a large door.

"….Aiiiiiiiiii…dynnn?" Arisu said as she slowly pushed the door open.

Her room was a mess as usual; books, clothes and crumpled pieces of paper all over the floor. Arisu didn't let maids in there to clean. She couldn't run the risk of one of them hurting her brother. Plus, the room was only for _her_ and _Aidyn_, their sanctuary, away from Isaac and from the rest of the world. There, they could talk about whatever they wanted and Aidyn didn't have to be afraid. This room was their world.

She'd _never _let anyone else inside…

At the sound of her voice Aidyn's blond little head poked halfway out from the covers of the bed.

"S-s-sister…"

"Awwwwww Aiiidynn.."

Arisu's voice was soft and full of compassion. She held out her arms and approached her little brother. The boy pushed the covers away and hugged her, shaking.

" 'e's m-mad…"

"What? Zat man? No, it doesn't matter. 'E cannot do anything to 'ou. I'd _kick _'is ASS."

"N-n-noooo….I do not want 'ou to get in t-t-trouble…"

"Nooooo, do not worry about zaaaat."

As Arisu stroked the top of Aidyn's soft, fluffy head, his shoulders slowly relaxed. The girl's heart was in her stomach, she _hated _herself…her brother…her baby brother…what a horrible day he'd been through….and it was all her fault…

"Aidyn…."

"….yes, sister?"

" 'Ou know I did not _purposely _leave 'ou alone right?..."

"N-n-no! No! I did not blame 'ou!"

Even if she did abandon her brother, Arisu was the boy's only friend. He'd always run back to her, always forgive her…it made the girl sick.

"….I _am _to blame. I'm sorry Aidyn…..if I was not….'ou would not 'ave run into zat boy…"

Her brother flinched; his shoulders once again tensed.

"Do not worry! I will never let 'im go near 'ou again!"

"U-u-uhh…a-ahhh….."

The sister looked down to find the boy's face completely flushed….

"Bu-bu-but 'e waz n-nice…"

"Aidyn!"

"UH! S-s-s-s-sorry!"

Arisu firmly gripped the boy's shoulders, her concerned eyes burning into his fearful expression.

"_Listen, _Aidyn. People are bad, zey are not to be trusted. Ze only person 'ou could turn to iz me. Understand? Ozer people will 'urt 'ou and I do not want zat to 'appen."

The boys lower lip trembled, his eyes glistened with sadness. Once again the girl's heart sunk. She wrapped her arms tighter around Aidyn, allowing him to cry on her shoulder.

"Nooooo…nooo…do not cry….Shhhhh….Shhhh…..It is not your fault…Shh..It iz zem… It iz zem…It iz zeir fault"

Her brother stammered over his broken sobs.

" 'E-e-e j-j-just-_HIC-_ s-s-s-s-s-seemed-_HIC-_m-m-m-ore n-n-nice."

Arisu was dumbstruck; she'd never expect Aidyn to bring up the black-haired boy twice. He truly had an impact on her baby brother. She thought about the boy's condemning blue eyes, _mocking _her, calling her a bad sister. Who was he to be so self-righteous? It didn't matter, his kindness, his accusations, they were all fake. He just wanted to get close to Aidyn…close enough to kill him…

_**But she'd kill him first. **_


	11. Chapter 10: The Blame?

**A/N: **I'm sorry for the long wait! Things have been very busy and I hadn't had the chance to write!

Thank you Hartanna, wildkurofang, and Kanrei for your comments!

It means a lot for someone to say I keep every one in character! Thanks! And haha! Yes! Isaac does have a stick up his ass! He inserts one every morning! Yea Arisu does have a brother complex like Yukio! I never thought about that. Hehe… the accent does get a little tedious to write at times. I just hope readers can understand what the characters are saying. OMG! Aidyn's supposed to have an accent! That was a mistake on my part thanks for pointing it out!

* * *

><p><em><strong>At exactly 3:00 o'clock PM, the hallway echoed with screams.<strong>_

And Rin heard it loud and clear –

Damn, to think that the day was going smoothly before all of this. The teen was two days in his second year of high school, and he intended on showing four-eyes that he _could_ be responsible. Not that he wasn't before! All Rin did was help some guy out! – _Geez!_ Even so, Yukio just wouldn't listen to him…come to think of it…the guy barely listened to anything these days… Rin's kid brother would normally go on nagging, saying things like - 'studying is essential'- and - 'you should take cram school more seriously'.

_But lately… nothing._

During Rin's grounded week (which he was still in at the moment) all Yukio did was tell him to stay put.

Then he'd leave –

Just like that Yukio left to work on the virus….nothing else…no more. That was it. Oh, he also kept the door locked –

_Seriously? He doesn't trust me so much that he has to LOCK me in the dorm?_

Despite how irritating the situation was Rin was more worried than pissed. His brother's behavior was strange. The times he was in Rin's company all he did was stare off into space or scribble notes on a piece of paper. He stopped taking care of himself too. Rin noticed Yukio go through his days with frazzled hair and a messy uniform. His brother seemed to be going insane…Four–eyes kept this creepy faded look on twenty – four – seven.

Rin knew Yukio was under stress, and he completely understood why. The adolescent felt it too, the anxiety, those damn troubled nights with no sleep. All he'd think about was that sickness, Aidyn…Aidyn, and that sickness…the safety of his friends… Rin knew that his brother was working his ass off for a cure –

But…he wished he'd get a little more sun…and sleep…

While the nights were restless, the days were gloomy. For the past days, Rin dragged himself sluggishly between classes. All he wanted to do was get through the day. Rin hadn't seen Kuro either…not since he met the L'Écarlates. The teenager was filled with grief, exhaustion and worry.

_He knew Yukio felt the same way…if not worse…_

The yelling continued.

Rin followed the sound through the corridor. It was getting louder…He began to make out what was being said –

"_YOU BITCH! YOU DAMN BITCH! GET IT OUTTA HERE! GET THE F*CKING THING OUTTA HERE!_"

"OH _SHUT UP! 'OU WERE ZE 'ON ZAT STARTED IT! I ONLY FINISHED IT!_"

It was a French accent, a female French accent…It could only belong to the one and only Arisu L'Écarlate. Yep, it was her…Rin got a clear look at the scene, books scattered everywhere, shredded paper on the floor, and Aidyn – on his knees. There was another guy facedown on the ground. Arisu stood over him with her foot on his back. Rin had no clue what the hell was going on, but he did know that Aidyn was in some kind of danger.

"_Hey!_" He yelled.

Arisu's head shot up to him, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. Rin didn't care, he was more concerned with Aidyn.

"Hey – hey! What's going on?"

The trembling figure stared with disbelief as Rin kneeled beside him.

"…Ah…a – a – ahh…R – Rin…"

Rin smiled widely.

"You remember me!"

His grin quickly faded once he noticed the gigantic bruise on Aidyn's arm.

"Hey…where did you get that?..."

He gestured towards the injury. The boy flinched and covered it with his palm.

Rin's gut tightened. With gritted teeth, he snapped at the guy on the floor:

"DID _YOU _DO THIS? DID YOU HURT THIS KID?"

The man spat back with full force.

"YOU'RE ALL FREAKIN' CRAZY! JUST CRAZY! WHY PROTECT THAT THING?"

Rin stood up, there was an edge to his deepened voice.

"_Why – YOU – "_

Something caught his arm… It was Aidyn. The guy shivered wildly as he clung on.

"_No! No! No! No Rin! No hurt – no!" _

Sympathy replaced rage. Rin once again kneeled down beside the defenseless boy.

"H-hey…You…okay…?"

"O-okaaay…."

_It was just like before_…_when we first met…People abuse this guy for no reason….why?_

Arisu glared at Rin through the corner of her eye. When the punk on the floor shifted to his knees, she turned her attention on him.

"Get ze _'ELL _outta 'ere!"

With decent force, the girl kicked the guy strait in the ass. He got up, spouted more curses at Arisu, and ran away.

After he was gone, she ran over to her brother and rudely nudged Rin away.

"Get out of 'ere! _Go_."

"What? Are you serious?"

"VEIRY – now _leave._"

"Why you – I just wanna see if Aidyn's okay! Maybe you haven't noticed but that bastard back there gave him huge bruise."

Arisu eyes widened with anger.

"Do not _tell _me 'ow my brozer iz! Zis had nozing to do wiz 'ou – so _LEAVE!_"

"_NO! _Not until I know Aidyn's okay!"

Before the girl could respond, a blunt voice cut her off.

"Honestly girl 'ou cause trouble at 'ome and 'ou cause trouble in school as well."

Rin looked up confused.

"Huh…?... _!_"

It was…_AIDYN! _Wait – no – wait – it wasn't… The guy just looked like him. Like…an older version… Arisu wasn't nearly as surprised.

"Oh – _shut up! _Zis iz none of 'our business eizer!"

The man didn't bat an eye.

"Hmph, 'ou are late for my class."

He turned towards Rin.

" 'OU as well. Get up boy."

The teenager stared dumbstruck. Who is this guy? He didn't remember True Cross having a teacher with an accent… Unless…

"Huh – _wait – _are you _Isaac?_"

"That is _Meester __L__'Écarlate_."

"Uh…well – uh Mr. – uh…I don't really attend regular cram school anymore…I'm supposed to work on my fla – "

"I do not _care _for what ever curriculum 'ou were taking before. I do not make exceptions for any students."

Rin didn't know whether he should feel insulted for be treated like an idiot or happy for being treated like an idiot _human student. _Isaac didn't seem afraid of him…

_He knows about my identity right?_

" W- wait…if you're Mr…"

He glanced at Arisu and Aidyn.

"T – that means you're their….brother. Aidyn was just bullied two seconds ago! He –"

Rin did not expect a slight smile to appear on the man's face. He felt a stab of shock and pain though his chest.

"_H – HEY! _You're Aidyn's _BIG BROTHER! _You should be _WORRIED ABOUT HIM!_"

Isaac's smile faded. He answered Rin with a dry yet icy remark.

"Do not question me. 'Ou are merely a child. A dumb one at zat."

"HUH?"

The entire time Arisu gaped stupidly at Rin. Nothing else processed in her brain except for the lines _' 'Ou are late for my class'…_ and…_ ' 'Ou as well.'_

Instantaneously she blurted out -

"_NO... No – no – no – no! _Zis boy iz not seriously training to become an exorcist!"

Rin immediately struck back. With his thumb, the teen pointed to his chest.

"_HELL YEAH_ I'm becoming an exorcist!"

Feeling cocky, Rin's eyes burned back as he stated –

"Not only that but I'm gonna become Paladin."

With a blank expression, the girl blinked for two seconds then came up with a response.

"_Dumb."_

"_What? Why you – ARG! And YOU think you'll be a better exorcist?"_

At that moment something clicked in his mind. The teenager cocked his head towards Aidyn.

"Wait – Does that mean _you're _gonna become an exorcist too? That's great! We – "

"My brozer is _not _becoming an exorcist – _I AM!_" Arisu spat.

"What? Just YOU? WHY? I'm sure he could do it – "

"_ENOUGH!" _Isaac snapped.

Aidyn squealed in fear and ran behind his sister.

"I 'ad enough of zis child's play. 'Ou will be attending Anti – Démon Pharmaceuticals, in _SILENCE._"

For the five – millionth time, Rin was stunned.

"Wait… Anti – Demon…Yukio teaches that! What are you – "

" 'E came to me in person 'n asked to take over ze class."

"But…why would he…"

"Ze sickness, boy."

"…Oh…."

**Rin entered the class around 3: 20. **

Arisu did not join him…which he was _extremely_ grateful for. The girl was a _bitch. _Hands down. Even if she were to have class, Rin wasn't sure if it would be his…Arisu was a page after all… one rank beneath him. (It felt good to be higher than her…made him feel like he'd accomplished more.) But, Isaac was kinda weird… He did let the child of Satan enter his classroom after all. (Which, by the way, didn't go very smoothly with the other students. ) Why not someone of lower rank?

The moment he set foot in the room, heads turned and stared. Rin wasn't sure who to make eye contact with. Finally he gathered up the courage to glance at Sheimi. She stared back with tense worry…

_Sheimi…_

Before she could attempt to smile back, Rin cast a look at Suguro. The guy was clearly pissed. Rin could tell by the way his mouth gaped, then clenched into a surge of aggression. He was sure Suguro was going to get up and start something, but the chance passed when Isaac entered.

"_SIT,_" he ordered sternly.

"Uh…where – "

"_Anywhere." _

"…Uh….'kay…"

He wanted…_wanted _so desperately to sit next to Sheimi or one of his previous companions. But he knew they didn't want him…

Rin took a seat at an empty table in the back.

"Now," Isaac stared as he wrote his name on the board.

"I am ze substitute for meester 'ukio Okumura."

Suguro's hand shot up and the teacher nodded.

"Mr. L'Écarlate…why is Mr. Okumura absent? It seems like the faculty have been worried about something..."

"Indeed…zey are…zere iz _much _to be worried about, 'n we must take extra precautions."

"If that's the case then why…?"

Suguro turned and faced Rin. His expression had confusion, rage, and betrayal written all over it.

The man did not respond to the question. Instead, he discussed his plans for the lesson.

"Zese are serious times 'n my class iz going to cover why zey are so…. We are going to learn about 'Noire Du Sang'…. A deadly virus zat is currently plaguing eaivry corner of ze earth."

The class shifted into mild chaos. Everyone turned towards each other and began speaking. After a few minutes of worried chatter, Suguro and Kamiki raised their hands. Isaac picked of Kamiki.

"What exactly are the symptoms of this virus?"

"Vein blackening, plasma exposure from ze wounds, strange 'n violent behavior." Isaac stated this as he wrote on the board.

"What's the cause?"

"What else could it be? A démon."

Rin felt an extreme wave of intensity. Almost every one in the class turned and glanced at him… at least for a millisecond. He wanted to plead with them, let them know he didn't want to be a demon…

Shima raised his hand with closed eyes and a smile that tried to make it look like he was calm… He wasn't.

"What kind of violent, strange behavior are we talking about?"

"Murder, slaughter, torture, 'n a joy for committing it."

Suguro's eyes narrowed, the arms folded on his chest tightened. After minutes of silence, he raised his hand again.

"When you say 'plaguing every corner of the earth'… Do you mean…"

No one liked Isaac's response.

"Yes. Zat goes for True Cross 'n True Cross Academy as well. No one iz safe from zis illness. In fact, it is possible for 'our fellow classmates to be contaminated at zis veiry moment."

"Whoa! _Whoa!_" Shima jolted back and pulled the collar of his shirt over his mouth. Konekomaru let out a terrified cry. He stood from his chair and yelled out -

"W- w – why weren't we t-told about this sooner!"

The professor was the only one unaffected by the conversation. He answered bluntly.

"Ze Vatican wanted to make it look like zey were in control for az long az possible. 'Owever… zey cannot afford to do zis any longer. A dead student is worth more zen silence."

Konekomaru grew faint and slumped back into his chair. He looked like he was going to throw up or pass out. Suguro attempted to comfort him. He placed a firm hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Koneko…"

Isaac pulled out a box from the desk and placed in on Kamiki's table.

"Pass zese out. Zey are masks to put over 'our nose and mouth. 'ou are to wear zem all ze time. Even at night."

Rin's classmate nodded and did what he said. The teacher continued to speak.

"We are first going to review safety precautions zat can secure our health – "

There was a massive _THUMP_ in the room.

"NEKO! NEKO!"

"WHOA! Hey man – _hey! _You gotta take it easy!"

The yelling came from Suguro and Shima. Konekomaru passed out. Rin jumped from his seat and ran over.

"Hey! Is he okay? – "

"_Stay BACK!_" Suguro snapped.

Rin stopped in his tracks, hurt. Shima was busy fanning Konekomaru with a notebook.

Rin glared at his classmate.

"I _asked _if he was okay!"

"And _I'm _telling you to _stay back! _This doesn't concern you!"

The teen felt instant déjà vu. Only this time it was Surguro and Kenekomaru instead of Arisu and Aidyn.

_He was truly unwanted…_

In the next minute everyone surrounded the three. Rin remained floating in the background…_They wouldn't want me close-by anyway…_

Konekomaru's eyes opened slightly and he sat up.

"B-Bon…sorry…I…"

Suguro spoke calmly. "Just relax. You're going to be fine."

"I…I'm worried about _you_…"

"Koneko…"

"Hey…what about me?" Shima pointed to himself sadly.

"Zat is enough," Isaac walked over.

"Mizz Moriyama please take ze boy to ze academy infirmary. (Zere must be one somewhere in ze school.)"

Sheimi's eyes sparkled with determination; the apples of her cheeks dyed a strawberry pink.

"R-right!"

Suguro turned towards Isaac.

"Mr. L'Écarlate, if you don't mind I'd like to go too."

"_Take 'our seat._"

There was a startled sound in the back of Bon's throat. Clearly, he did not expect such a cruel response.

Rin's legs were frozen, useless. He couldn't move, couldn't do anything to help his friends. All he could do was stand there, as they all got hurt. Yukio was working on a cure…He was _doing _something. What was Rin doing?... _Nothing. _Was that everything? Was he going to remain some street thug that every one was afraid of? No…he wasn't a thug anymore…he was a _demon. _

_**And worst of all…without meaning too…. Suguro and the others blame him for the virus. **_


	12. Chapter 11: Autopsy

**September 14****th****, 2012**

**Yukio Okumura**

**Research Log: 2 **

**I've recently examined the files involving my first encounter with the virus. Out of the twenty exorcists that attended that mission, only six bodies were found. The search has yet to end. Hundreds of Exorcists are looking for the missing party members. I too would've been among them, however, it is my sole duty to watch Rin Okumura. **

**From each of the autopsy reports, and my experience with "Noire Du Sang," I've noticed patterns in the illness. First, every infected victim I have come across have always resided in a significantly humid or moist area. Second, there's a high concentration of fluid not only in the environment, but in the patient's blood as well. This was proven true by each of the internal examination of the patients' corpses. (C.T.A.s, Coal Tar Analyses, are used for this very reason. Such demons are massively attracted to dampness.) **

**The pattern here is moisture. I have a theory that the illness is spread through infected water. It is for this very reason that I asked all water supplies in True Cross be surveyed. **

**I must point out that Rin Okumura's power has nothing to do with water or wetness. On the contrary, he has a flame. Therefore he has no connection with "Noire Du Sang."**

**Due to this supported theory of mine, I've come up with a suspect. **

**Astaroth, King of Rot. **

**Being a member of the Baal, Astaroth is considered to be an incredibly dangerous adversary. This makes him a probable suspect. Surely one of the eight demon kings of Gehenna would be powerful enough to cause an international epidemic. Another fact proving my theory are the coal tars (his kin) attraction to the virus. I've theorized that Astaroth must use his abilities to poison water supplies. His methods are still unknown. **

**The next issue is attempting to stop his actions. **

That was all the information Yukio documented before he began his next autopsy. For the past weeks, his only companion was the rigor mortis of another corpse being sliced open. Though, the stiffness of bodies no longer bothered him. Perhaps Yukio was a child physically, but mentally…not at all. He could handle grim situations.

The Paladin was _wrong. _It wasn't Rin that began the sickness…It was Astaroth. This made perfect sense in the teenager's mind. After all, this demon had been known for causing illnesses in the past. Yukio recalled hearing about a kin of his in the late Edo Period, wiping out billions of lives with poisonous gases. Either way, Yukio knew _he _was to blame.

Despite this, the young doctor knew the Paladin was stubborn and would not give up his accusation on Rin so easily. To combat this Yukio wanted to make sure there was absolutely no margin for error in his report. Besides, the Grigori wanted a solid cure to ease the current hysteria. They desired a quick fix, an immediate restoration of peace – a vaccination. While suspecting the king of rot was a good start, the Vatican would still be dissatisfied.

Yukio had a long way to go before saving his brother.

And so, he began this long road in a secluded dark room. The doctor slowly eased his arms into long gloves connected to a glass wall. His covered limbs now protruded out to the other side of the glass. This was a safety precaution, while the body was sealed behind the glass, Yukio could operate without being touched by sickly fluids. The young man wasn't sure if it mattered though…He was exposed to the liquid before and did not contract the sickness…

Or at least did not show any symptoms.

The corpse prepared was none other than the one obtained during his mission with Isaac. It died merely three days after it's capture, and Yukio was particularly interested in this one. It seemed like on the day of the capture…the infected singled Yukio out as a target… It grabbed _him _and did nothing to capture Isaac_._ When he tried to defend himself…his bullets were reflected off the creature. Not only that but the teen was stuck to the wall by an unknown force. He also recalled his feet being trapped in sewage while Isaac's were completely fine.

Yukio concluded that it was the _moisture._ The water on the thing's skin acted as a form of shield and the wetness of the walls and floors kept Yukio in place. In this experiment the doctor wanted to see if there was anything different with this creature than the others….

_And…and what was it that Issac said to me before the creature attacked?..._

…_.' 'Ze water'…. He said 'water'…._

_Yes that's right the infected victim was hiding in the sewage…more proof…_

Despite this scientific victory, Yukio's mind was caught between morality and structure. The doctor stared closely at his 'assignment'… The thing was stripped of clothing and laid sprawled out on the dissection table. The veins slinking through the body were blacker than sin; they appeared as though they were ready to burst at moment. The thing's mouth hung open with sordid despair. Yukio's thoughts told him that the creature lying before him wasn't human anymore.

_It was no longer a victim._

_It was a thoughtless sac of skin desiring nothing more than carnage._

_Whatever man he was before the virus…he would want me to do this…_

The doctor grabbed a scalpel from a table beside the body. Carefully he touched the edge of the blade to the chest. Slowly…slowly…he pushed the knife down. Instantaneously, black liquid oozed from the cut, Yukio pinned the skin back.

Now the ribs…

The next tool Yukio grabbed was a form of electric saw. Although he couldn't hear the loud hum from behind the glass, the young doctor could feel the tool's vibrations. The sensation sank through the gloves into his skin, running up the teen's arms and into his chest…breaking him slowly….

He'd never admit to this torture…

The saw was cutting through bone…

_Its not human anymore…anymore…. anymore._

_As a doctor, it's my responsibility to research the virus…_

_All prices must be paid…_

Rin's safety was the only thing that mattered to Yukio, and he'd gladly sell his soul to preserve it.

After all…Father Fujimoto sacrificed himself for the doctor's brother.

The black ooze gushed from the body's chest and onto Yukio's covered arms. He could feel the thick sticky consistency of the fluid. The visible organs gave the appearance of wet coal. This, however, was not significant. He had seen the same thing in many other autopsies. The teen was looking for something…._ anything_ different.

"Yo – HO! Wimpy four – eyes!"

Yukio's gut tightened. His heart became an enflamed lump in his throat. _SHE _was the _LAST _thing he wanted to deal with at the moment. _ANYTHING _but her! _ANYTHING AT ALL! – _

"I'm _busy, _Shura. What do you want?"

The woman behind him was an _immature – irresponsible – NON-SERIOUS – _colleague of Yukio's…and he HATED her. He could barely stand watching as she'd stumble about relevant missions with a beer can in her hand and an outfit barely covering her –

THE IMPORTANT THING WAS – Shura made an absolute _fool _out of him and any other serious exorcist. She had the skill – she had the talent – she had the power – the woman could've been _Paladin _if she wanted! Instead, all _Shura_ cared about was people believing she was eighteen when in reality she was twenty-six.

"Lighten up, wouldya! I just figured you were gettin' lonely being cramped up in some hot, sweaty, surgical room all day."

"Well I'm _not. _I _don't _have _time _for this Shura – just leave."

The woman was not bothered by his attitude in the least; her response did not contain a hint of irritation or shock – on the contrary…she teased him...

"Whoa, whoa _somebody's _on the snippy side today."

It's true, despite his abrasion towards Shura, Yukio would normally control his conduct. The teen would at least attempt to be formal and follow protocol. After all, she was above him in rank. However, at the moment, Yukio had too much to deal with. Rin was in danger, each day his life ticked away, a time bomb ready to explode. He _couldn't – _he _COULDN'T! _

"It doesn't matter what you think. I'm busy."

Shura ignored the doctor's statement and sat on the table behind him. Casually she crossed her legs and spoke.

"Have ya met that Isaac guy - A$$hole is what I say! He walks around like he owns the place."

"…"

Yukio's colleague stared at him with a keen eye. He could feel her look burning into the back of his head. She was testing him about something…what? The woman paused before asking a second question.

"What about…the younger one? You met him?"

"What _about _him?"

"Ah – ha! So you did! Let me tell you – when I first laid eyes on that kid I was like _'YOW – ZA! That's ugly!' "_

"Your point is?"

"You know what my point is wimpy. That kid has a nasty temptaint. One that causes someone to feel revulsion and hatred towards him…..well?"

"Well what?..." Yukio spoke bitterly.

"Whatcha gonna do about it?"

The doctor whipped his head around.

"You mean what are YOU going to do about! Believe it not YOU'RE a doctor too Shura! You're the one that noticed it – be mature for once and handle it yourself!"

The colleague nodded and spoke to herself.

"Yep something's definitely weighing on your mind."

"Tch!"

Yukio turned back towards the corpse, his chest heavy with guilt. A temptaint. He should've known that was behind Aidyn L'Écarlate. And Rin, he was unaffected by the boy's condition. That's why he was able to communicate to him with a clear head. Indeed…Yukio should've known… His mind was just completely focused on the current situation…

The teen couldn't think straight. As wrong as it sounded, Yukio's brother came before anyone else. Did Shura really have to bring this up to him? Though, he wondered where the boy could've gotten such an injury…and…if it was connected to the epidemic. The doctor stared at the corpse until his eyes widened with shock.

"Breathing."

"Whaa?"

"The body…it's breathing…"

The next thing Yukio knew Shura was beside him staring down at the once-dead creature with anticipation. Its lungs swelled and deflated, the jaw twitched with pain. The doctor can tell it strained to breathe.

"Arrrrrrggggggg – "

"Yukio!"

The young man's arm was suddenly being sucked into the thing's chest. The creature's body was cold; he could feel its sickly blood pulsating throughout the cavity. Yukio was trapped between the lungs and stomach. The tips of the doctor's fingers reluctantly brushed over the spinal chord.

"Hey! _Let go dammit!_"

From behind, Shura wrapped her arms round Yukio's torso. She placed her foot on the glass and pushed off from it. With her arms, the woman attempted to yank the doctor free. After minutes of struggling the two managed to break free. They both crashed to the floor, Shura accidentally cushioning his fall.

Yukio stood up wearily, his eyes slowly made contact with the creature behind the glass. It was standing now, and its eyes locked directly on the adolescent. With the edge of its nail, the thing pricked its stomach. A stream of blackened blood flooded down. Slowly the creature raised its finger and dragged it across the glass, creating tarry, blackened streaks that spelled out the word – _'child.' _

The thing tapped on the word three times before falling to the ground dead.

The two exorcists stared at the message, not knowing what to make out of it. After ten minutes of silence Shura turned towards Yukio.

"_**The hell was that?"**_


	13. Chapter 12: The Knife and Blue Eyes

_**There was once a kind stranger with soft eyes and a warm smile. **_

_And surely he – this man, was different than the others. _

_Surely he - was capable of feeling what was unable to be felt – _

_True compassion for the small, shivering boy at his feet. _

_When the kind stranger spoke, a soothing voice mellowed the most tense of nerves. _

_When the man patted the child's head, there was a tender rush of happiness._

'_Poor zing.' He would say. _

'_Poor zing, 'ou must be so frightened of people.' _

_And his eyes, oh, the man's harmless blue eyes proved to be quite harmful after all._

"I WOULD RIP 'ZEM OUT!"

* * *

><p>"<em>S-sister?"<em>

It was too damn bright, and the _dumb _scent of grass engulfed Arisu's senses. The girl rubbed her sinuses and looked at the boy next to her. _Where am I…?_

"A – ah…sister….?" A timid voice spoke to her in French.

"_Um…_ah…_oh! _I am sorry, Aidyn!"

There was no denying it, the girl had zoned out again. As one may have deduced earlier….this was a regular occurrence. However, it was not the putrid body in the water this time…and for that Arisu was grateful. Her mind didn't sink into a deeper state, it only wandered…and perused the past. Either way, Arisu's brother was safe by her side.

Only a few moments ago the young girl was thinking about _that _time – the one that changed everything and convinced her of humanity's true nature.

"A -a -are 'ou o-okay?"

"Aww, of course I am, Aidyn! Do not worry about me…. Ahhh…. Where are we?"

"I-i-in z-ze c-court yard… B-brozer told us to w-wait until after 'is c-class… "

Arisu mumbled to herself bitterly.

"Tch! Of course 'e did…"

She remembered now…Isaac didn't want her in the same class as the Exwires. He signed her up for traditional academic classes, then set up a separate class for her as a page. He said she was _'inexperienced'_, and would _'distract ze students wiz 'er childish behavior.' _It was all crap, the man just wanted to make her miserable. Isaac _knew _about the girl's strange obsession in demons… He was there her entire life.

One might say that Isaac practically raised her. Arisu's father was dead and her mother was an extremely busy woman. She simply didn't have the time to look after a shrieking child in lace tutus. Being the only adult figure about, it was expected for Isaac to look after the child (Even if he clearly did not do a good job).

The man knew cram school would be the only form of education Arisu would ever pay attention to. After years of trouble with homeschooling – skipping lessons, day dreaming, disobeying the instructor, screaming about how she needed to play with Aidyn – one might've thought Isaac would've been happy that Arisu wanted to learn _something. _

So here she and her brother were, sitting on the grass of some large school property…fun. Then again, it could've been much worse. At the very least that _Okumura boy_ wasn't anywhere in sight. He was a good actor, that one…and persistent too. Arisu hadn't run into anyone like that since…._since the man with blue eyes…_

"Ah…s-sister…?"

"Yes? What iz it Aidyn?"

Arisu patted the top of her brother's fluffy white head. The boy shifted uncomfortably, feeling guilty about what he wanted to say.

"R-Rin… 'e…'e…"

The girl's voice hardened…though she could not hide her shock.

"We _'ad _zis conversation. 'Ou do not talk to zat boy."

"I know… b-but – "

"But 'e iz like ze _ozers _Aidyn! 'Ow many times 'as zis happened? I know 'ou want to believe zat 'e means well but 'e does not!"

The boy hunched over sadly and stared at his knees.

"Sorry…"

The sister's stomach became tangled in knots of guilt. She wrapped her firm, protective arms around her brother and spoke softly.

"Aidyn…It iz not zat I don't want 'ou to 'ave friends… It iz zat I'm only trying to protect 'ou…"

The timid child did not look up…He only mumbled 'okay' under his breath.

Arisu was fairly surprised at her brother. The boy would normally do whatever she's said, (not that the girl wanted her brother to be a pushover…she just knew what was best for him) but this time…there was a mild defiance. For some reason, Aidyn had a huge fixation on Rin Okumura. She didn't understand why he wanted to trust this student so badly. After everything that had happened to him…he was usually so cautious –

An immense patch of darkness crept over the girl and her brother, interrupting these thoughts. Aidyn shrieked and ducked behind his sister. Arisu's eyes trailed up the shadow until she reached its source.

The hallway gorilla… Pinky….and….uh….some other short guy. All three wore some kind of hospital mask on their faces. As expected, the gorilla spoke first.

"The two of you shouldn't be out here – "

Arisu interrupted his lecture.

"What iz wiz ze _dumb _zings on ze face?"

She could see the irritation in the monkey's eyes, which was exactly what she wanted. He was _dumb, _it was as simple as that.

"Shouldn't you _know? _Considering your brother's teaching the class."

There was an edge of resentment to his voice… like his statement had a second meaning.

"It iz still dumb."

"Yeah, well, you know what else is dumb – sitting outside when a _PLAGUE _is going around!"

"What? _What? _I do not see a plague – where ze 'ell iz a plague? Oh – maaaybe it iz under zat rock over zere."

"Well you're not gonna physically see a virus walk straight up to you!"

"We are in a closed environment _stupid_! Zere iz no virus 'ere! Well maybe if we are lucky ze plague will come 'n take 'ou out first! Zat way I wont 'ave to 'ear 'our annoying voice."

"DID YOU JUST WISH DEATH ON ME?"

No, she didn't. Arisu just had a tendency to come out with extremely harsh things…

Aidyn squeezed Arisu's arms and spoke in her back.

"S-s-sister please… n-no…"

The gorilla's friends were also against the argument.

"Bon, just let it go, don't take her seriously." The Pink One calmly stated.

" She's _trying _to get you mad." The Short Guy added with a concerned tone.

Gorilla faced his friends.

"She's ALREADY accomplished that in the past!"

He turned towards her.

"REMMEMBER?"

Arisu snorted.

"What? No. Get out of 'ere."

"THE HALLWAY!"

"Awww _veiry good_ 'ou know what a _'allway iz!_"

"_GRRRAAAAAAHHH!_"

Pinky and Short Guy were forced to hold him back.

"Bon – Bon relax! She's less than half your size – you can't fight her!"

The girl could tell his teeth were gritted behind that mask.

"Just who the hell do you think you are anyway? Are you really trying to become an exorcist? The only reason you're here is because of your brother's title – isn't that right, Arisu!"

His pink companion blinked with confusion.

"Arisu?…Isn't that name Japanese? I thought she was French…"

"My mozer iz eccentric!" The girl stated boldly. By her tone, one could tell she thought highly of the woman.

"_That's _not what's important!" Gorilla retaliated.

"The important thing is that _you _don't belong here!"

"_What? _Az I have stated before BRUTE - BOY, 'OU are incapable of using 'ALLWAYS!"

"THAT WAS YOUR FAULT AND YOU KNOW IT!"

" 'OU WERE IN MY WAY!"

"NO – NO SISTER – NOOOO!"

When Aidyn screamed his face was revealed to the three boys. In an instant, the campus was reduced to an eerie silence. The small bald boy eventually broke the quiet atmosphere with a trembling remark.

"W-wasn't t-that the guy with Okumura…"

_DAMMIT, _Arisu thought.

_Zey saw 'im. Three people ganging up on Aidyn…not good… 'n wiz zat gorilla's size…_

She burned a death glare at the large brute. Weirdly enough, she noticed he was trying to pay attention to her…but his eyes would flicker towards Aidyn after every other word.

"You – the two– YOU SHOULD GO BACK INSIDE!"

And with that he stormed away, the two friends following after him.

Arisu and Aidyn were left alone and confused in the campus – expecting a brawl that did not occur.

* * *

><p><em>The kind stranger stared at down at the two children.<em>

'_Ze two of 'ou? Looking for démons? What a strange 'obby.'_

'_I am not scared!' retailed the little girl – full of arrogant pride. _

_Her brother standing by could only stare, entranced the man's playfulness._

'_Of course 'ou are not!' the stranger laughed. _

'_But 'our elder brozer would not want 'ou to go out alone.' _

_With an elegant bow, the stranger spoke as though he was addressing royalty._

'_Allow me to attend zis démon hunt.'_

_The little girl laughed gleefully and the three went out on their happy adventure. _

_More adventures followed._

_Each day was full of excitement and wonder. _

_Arisu and Aidyn became fond of the kind man. _

_He was different._

_He cared about Aidyn. _

_There were times when the stranger hold Aidyn's hand, or let the boy ride on his shoulders. _

_He loved him like a father._

_Arisu thoroughly enjoyed those lovely blue eyes that looked down at her brother. _

_Then, one beautiful night – the man told the two he found a fascinating démon._

'_One at a time.' He said 'One at a time. If zere are too many people around, ze creature will get scared and run away.' _

_Looking down with those gentle blue eyes, the man took Aidyn's hand. _

' '_Ou first' He said. And then he led her brother away._

_She waited…._

…_And waited…_

…_.And waited…._

…_.…And waited…._

_And waited…_

_Until the little girl finally realized her brother was not coming back. _

_With tears in her eyes, Arisu screamed for her mother. _

_By sunrise, they found a bloody Aidyn full of bruises and cuts by the river. _

_He cried, saying the stranger only pretended to be his friend. _

_The man wanted her brother's death. _

_Arisu never asked how the her brother lived – _

_She didn't want to think about him running for his life– _

_And the man chasing with a sharp knife in hand… _

_The little girl sobbed into her brother for days - weeks - months._

_Following this tragedy – _

_There were many others who attempted to become 'kind strangers' as well – _

_Only this time Arisu could see right through them._

_She could see the lust for blood and violence beneath their smiles. _

_Some killers were smarter than the others – most attacked Aidyn at first sight – _

_But others knew how to get close. _

_The little girl began to carry a sharp little dagger in her shoe – _

_She vowed to shield her brother from the world. _

_The blue eyes may have been gone for all those years – _

_But now – _

_Now they have been reborn in someone new…_

_**That someone being Rin Okumura.**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** 'And some short guy'….Poor Konekomaru…


	14. Chapter 13: Man or Monster Part 1

**A/N: **Thank you Hartanna for commenting!

Sorry for the confusion! I should've made it clearer! You're right! A temptant is a wound inflicted by a demon that gives the 'sight'. However, these wounds can sometimes have certain side effects. (or at least… I think so… I could be wrong ^^; ) I remember in the anime something like a ghoul temptant being dangerous and possibly leading to death. In Aidyn's case, the wound he received causes other people to feel negative emotions around him. However, no one knows what demon could've given him a temptant with such a side effect.

I hope I cleared things up for you! Sorry for ranting! ^^

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday afternoon and the rain pounded the campus with full force.<strong>

Rin wandered about the school grounds looking for his familiar, Kuro. He hadn't seen his friend for weeks and was beginning to get worried. Come to think of it…the little guy had been missing since the virus… It seemed like the world was upside down. Rin didn't even have to give Yukio the slip. His brother had been gone since he woke up…

Which…by the way… was actually earlier than usual…about 7:00 AM.

The teen looked around the campus – deserted…empty. It was a complete ghost town. Everyone must've been inside due to the storm. Rin was the only one in the rain.

Considering the circumstances he could've really used a friend at the moment.

'_Stay back!' _

'_Zis has nozing to do wiz 'ou – so LEAVE!'_

Those words hung like lingering poison in the young man's heart, slowly killing him from the inside. The day before was torturous. Seeing everyone discover the disease was almost too much to handle – not to mention Konekomaru passing out…_dammit._

In a matter of minutes, Rin was drenched to the bone. He could barely hear his voice beneath the thundering of the rain. Even so, he continued to shout until his throat became sore and his voice cracked.

"Kuuuroooo!"

"Hey! KURROOO!"

"You out there buddy?"

_No answer. _

Gasping, Rin hunched over, hands clasped over his knees. In a matter of seconds, he swung his head up and bellowed.

"_HEEEEEEEEEEY!" _

It was useless… The thundering sky quickly washed the holler away.

"Where…_huff…_are – you?..._huff…_"

_Where…? _

_I'm hopeless… completely hopeless…. I'm losing everyone I care about…._

The young man thought about Shiemi ... distant…Yukio… distraught. He thought about Suguro, apprehensive and angry… He thought about Shima's nervous laugh. He thought about Konekomaru unconscious on the floor.

He thought about Father Fujimoto – _gone. _

Rin sank to his knees, defeated. He wanted to _do _something. He wanted to help others even if they didn't want to help him...

They were his friends…. He wanted to protect them.

Just then, Rin spotted a running silhouette in the distance. It looked like a person….a person with a skirt…

"S-Sheimi? …Wait…"

When he spotted two swirling pigtails on the figure, the young man realized it wasn't the blond, green–eyed beauty he admired. It was Kamiki.

"What are you _doing _here?" She asked panting.

"Huh?"

"The school was evacuated hours ago."

"What?..!"

Rin got up quickly.

"Evacuated?..! Why?..! From what?..!"

Kamiki looked back dully.

"One of the teachers caught "Noire Du Sang" and went berserk. He's somewhere in the school."

"_Is – Is everyone okay?..!" _

The girl looked to the side.

"I don't know…the boys from Kyoto are missing… I was sent to find them…."

"They're – _And what about the others?..! – _Shiemi_ – "_

"She's fine, I saw her go off with a crowd of other students into an area quarantined by True Cross."

There was rush of relief followed by a series of nervous pangs in Rin's gut.

"Where was the last time you've seen the guys?"

"In the Library…Suguro was studying for – _Hey WAIT! _We shouldn't separate!"

But Rin already took off.

He ran as hard as he could towards the library. Maybe Shima, Suguro, and Konekomaru were still there? The teen had to make sure of it.

When the young man reached an entrance, he found it blocked by two exorcists in full body suits.

"NO trespassing. The student quarantine is that way."

One of the men pointed in the opposite direction of the door, but Rin's feet remained planted on the ground.

"_Let me through!"_

"There are _no _students allowed passed this area – "

"_I SAID LET ME – " _

"We were ordered to find the missing students."

Rin looked back confused… Oh! It was Kamiki. The girl caught up to him. And now…she was…helping him out?

The two men looked at her, then back at Rin, confused. One finally answered.

"You expect us to believe that the faculty left two Exquires in charge of finding students in such a dangerous situation?"

"The faculty is completely focused on isolating Mr. Yonegawa."

Before the guard could respond, the girl continued.

"And besides, I'm the top student in Cram School! And he…"

Kamiki turned towards Rin, trying to find something to say. The exorcists observed him more carefully. One's eyes widened when he saw Rin's tail.

"AH – That's – !"

The other exorcist looked at him confused.

"What is it?"

"J – just l – let them through! I – I'm only junior second class! I can't handle things like this…"

He must've realized Rin's lineage. The two men shifted to one side. Rin pushed open the twin doors. He and Kamiki began running down the hallway. While running Rin turned his head and grinned.

"You helped me back there. Thanks!"

The girl's face was completely red. With great embarrassment she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head.

"D – don't get used to it! I didn't help you because I _wanted _to! Its just that – that if the boys aren't found _I'm_ gonna be the one blamed for it!"

"Oh…uh… Well thanks anyway!"

The students finally reached the library, a maze of bookshelves and an old, dusty, paper smell. It was so quiet…. and still, the only sound was the two trying to catch their breaths. Rin was the first to speak.

"Um…by the way…"

"What?"

"The L'Écarlate siblings…are they okay?"

"I…don't know. I've never even _seen _them. But – why be worried anyway? Their brother is a famous exorcist."

Rin had a feeling that Isaac wasn't going to be very protective. The teen recalled him _smiling _at Aidyn being injured by a bully.

"Yeah but – "

"_Shhhh! _I hear something."

Kamiki pulled Rin by the sleeve. They both hid behind a large bookstand. She stuck her head out from the shelf and gasped.

"What?..! What?..! What is it?..!" Rin asked startled.

The girl pulled out two pieces of paper with a magic circle. Hands trembling, she pricked her finger and bled onto the sheets. She whispered a chant.

"_Inari, I humbly beseech thee… To grant my request."_

At that moment the girl's familiars appeared, two white foxes.

_**/What do you want from us today?/**_

Kamiki didn't respond. She only stared out into the hallway, though it looked like she wanted her familiars to attack whatever was out there. Her shoulders shook with intense emotion.

_**/Hm? What is the meaning behind this, woman?/ **_

Rin was silent for a few seconds. Then, he spoke up.

"I'm goin' out there."

The teen crept out to see not a monster…but his friend.

"Aidyn!"

The timid boy looked surprised.

"Ah – Rin!"

The teen jogged over to him.

"Whaddaya doing here? Its dangerous, a teacher..."

"T-teacher…?"

"Yeah. He went crazy…. Where's your sister?"

"S – sister…"

"Yeah…sister… Arisu, where is she…?"

"U – uhh?"

"Go? Where did she go?"

"S – sister g-go o-out…"

_Tch! Of course! Leave it to Arisu_ _L__'Écarlate to leave her brother alone in a dangerous situation. _

Rin smiled at the boy and held out his hand.

"Don't worry, you're gonna be alright."

"_Are you CRAZY?_" Kamiki shouted from behind.

"Do you not _SEE _this kid? He can't come with us!"

Rin recalled the thug that tried to hurt Aidyn. The words he said…

'_GET THAT THING OUT OF HERE!'_

'_LOOK AT HIM! JUST LOOK AT HIM!' _

Why did everyone treat this guy like he was some awful criminal? _RIN _was the child of Satan… he completely understood why people would hate him – but Aidyn…Why? – WHY?

"HEY!" He shouted.

"YOU TOO? What the hell is everyone's problem?"

Rin took a good look at Kamiki. She was angry, no doubt about it… but she also looked unfocused… Like she didn't really understand what she was doing or how she felt…

"Aaahhhrrg…"

The girl threw her hands to her hand and fell to her knees.

"H – hey…are you…"

Suddenly Kamiki's familiars suddenly appeared next to her, growling violently.

_**/We shall carry out your request!/**_

In that instant, the two foxes charged at Aidyn, who screamed and fell backwards. Rin knocked the demons aside.

"The hell's wrong with you? Why did you call your familiars on us?"

Kamiki weakly lifted her head from her hands… She looked like she was going to puke.

"Wh…wha? …I didn't…"

When she saw Aidyn again, she made a sharp cry of pain and the foxes charged forward again.

_**/We follow our master's heart. Although she does not say it, her soul screams for that boy's death!/**_

One of the foxes sank his teeth into Rin's left leg. The other pounced and ensnared his right shoulder.

"AAARRGG!"

"RIIIIN! RIN!" Aidyn cried. The boy stood up.

Rin held his arm out and shouted.

"NOO! NO! STAY BACK!"

The boy shook violently in place, his shoulders hunched.

Kamiki looked up again.

"W – wait! I don't want to _kill _anyone!"

_**/Your heart states differently!/ **_

She looked down painfully.

"N – n – no… I…"

"OOWW! RIP THE PAPER! RIP IT!" Rin snarled.

Kamiki stared at the paper dumbly. Why did she hesitate? What was wrong with her? The girl's hands trembled wildly as she grabbed opposite sides of the sheets. Slowly…. slowly…. she began to tear it. The expression on her face made it seem like she was stabbing herself and dragging the knife down her flesh. When the tear finally reached the magic circle Kamiki cried out and the foxes disappeared. The girl fought for breath.

Rin approached the girl cautiously, not knowing what to make out of the previous events.

"Wh…what happened…?"

"Okumura…" Kamiki stated out of breath.

"Th…there's something wrong with t-that s-student…. I think he has some kind of condition…"

"Condition?...!"

"Yes… It's taking a-all my effort not to l-look at him. You mustn't be affected because you're S-Satan's child."

"H – hey –UH. "

Rin jolted his head towards Aidyn. The blond child stared back with confusion. His Japanese was still bad… The guy didn't understand a word they were saying.

_Good. _Rin thought with relief.

He knew it was wrong…and that Aidyn had a right to know… But the teen just couldn't bear it. If the guy knew who Rin's 'father' was…. he'd be so afraid.

"Wait, so you mean Aidyn has some kind of sickness?"

"S-Something that drives people crazy."

"But – "

"We need to separate, I c-can't risk my familiars attacking again."

"Are you sure – "

"GO! Before I attack again, you idiot!"

"Okay – Okay! C'mon Aidyn lets go!"

Rin grabbed hold of the boy's wrist. The two bolted out of the library. They ran down corridor after corridor. There was no solid destination for them, and the teen's mind was scrambled.

_Aidyn? _

_A condition?_

_That's why?_

_That's why everyone hates him? _

_It's a demon's fault?_

_A demon did this…_

They kept running until Aidyn collapsed. He dropped to his knees shivering. Rin kneeled down beside him.

"Hey, sorry. I didn't realize how fast I was going…And you must be terrified….hm?"

He realized the kid wasn't paying any attention to him… Instead his stricken eyes stared straight forward down the hallway. Rin reached for his sword the moment he heard faint footsteps in the distance. The teacher… Aidyn ducked behind him.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

_I'm ready for ya bastard._

Tap. Tap. Tap.

_Here he comes…_

Tap. Tap.

The footsteps ceased.

Rin's hand released his sword handle.

**The figure standing before them was no other than Yukio Okumura. **


	15. Chapter 14: Man or Monster Part 2

**A/N: **This chapter's gonna be a long one. Sorry… I hope it's interesting…

Hurray! The plot is actually moving!

* * *

><p><strong>The young man stared into the troubled eyes of his reckless older brother.<strong>

"Y – YUKIO?..! I thought you were the teacher for a sec!"

_I should've known._

_I should've known Rin would stick his nose into this. _

Yukio was already stressed as it was. The body suit worn for his safety stuck to his skin… the helmet hot. His stomach clenched and every muscle was tense with anxiety. The doctor felt that if he were to grip on to anything solid, he could break it in two. He felt like screaming…. between finding a cure and Mr. Yonegawa contracting the virus…. Everything was hectic at the moment. And Rin – he always felt the need to throw himself in danger when it was clearly unnecessary. Did he want to die – DID HE WANT TO DIE? In a state of fury Yukio opened his mouth.

"DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?..!"

There was a startled squeal that came from behind his brother, whose response was hard and cautious.

"Hey…Yukio…. What's…?"

The doctor hunched over and rubbed his sinuses…. What happened? He was usually more composed than his… Even when Rin bumbled around stupidly… Yukio took a deep breath, composed his thoughts, and searched for an appropriate thing to say.

"You shouldn't be here. Only the faculty is allowed up to this point."

Rin immediately spoke back.

"I can be useful in this situation."

_NO YOU CANT JUST GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM!_

_GO BACK – _

_WHERE YOU WONT GET YOURSELF KILLED!_

Yukio was ready to pull his hair out. He wanted to sedate and drag Rin out of the perimeter. The young man felt like a time bomb ready to explode. However, instead of yelling, he calmly stated the words.

"No. Brother. _Go back._"

"Yukio… The virus… I'm pretty sure I'm immune… And besides… in the condition you're in… you can't fight this guy alone."

The doctor was completely startled by this answer. True – he wasn't nearly as sharp or as clean cut as usual. Frazzled locks of brown hair hung over his tired, stern eyes. His uniform was thrown together at the last second – placed over the school attire, which he wore the day before and was too busy to change out of. Despite all this, Yukio was still capable of fighting…much more than his brother…. Who was still an exwire…

However, in the back of his mind, he knew Rin was right. Indeed, he was in a vulnerable state, physically and mentally. Even so, Yukio did not want to admit that his brother was immune and helpful. If he did, that would mean Rin would come along and potentially lose control of his flames.

That would mean death for Yukio's older brother…

A painful one…

"There's a student with you, brother. You need to get him to safety."

Yukio tried to the best of his ability not to stare at the boy clutching onto Rin, Aidyn L'Écarlate…. He was well aware of the child and the infectious side effects of his temptant. _Rage. Rage. Rage. Anxiety. _

It was most likely this boy's condition that was amplifying Yukio's negative emotions…. However…. This wasn't the only time the doctor felt like he was loosing control of himself…. The young man recalled snapping at Shura during their discussion on Aidyn. –

'_You mean what are YOU going to do about! Believe it not YOU'RE a doctor too Shura!' _

'_You're the one that noticed it – be mature for once and handle it yourself!'_

It couldn't be… there was another force at hand here…?

Impossible.

_It's stress… Nothing more…_

Yukio could see Rin's hesitation and reluctant expression as he glanced at the boy.

"Y – yeah…you're right… I gotta – "

Suddenly Aidyn stood up and the doctor was hit with a wave of intense emotion. He was forced to shield his eyes as the child walked passed him mindlessly. His brother called out.

"HEY! Aidyn! What's - ?..!"

There was a pounding in Yukio's head…he couldn't think straight. This boy, his temptant…it was affecting him. The young man took a deep breath. _Try to focus. Try to focus. _

He heard Rin grab Aidyn.

"Hey… what's with you?..! Are you under some kind of hypnotic thing?..! Whoa – Yukio… you okay? …!"

The young man felt a hand place itself on his shoulder. He immediately flinched away. Hand clutched to his forehead, Yukio backed into a wall.

"Rrrrgg…"

"Y – YUKIO!"

Rin grabbed each of his arms and shook him wildly.

"HEY – HEY! DON'T GIVE INTO IT! COME ON!"

_Don't give into it… Does Rin know about the temptant…? _

"Let – _GO!_"

Yukio shoved Rin away with weak force. Hunched over, he continued to clutch his sinuses while speaking.

"Rin. Where is Aidyn?"

"…..Uh…Walkin' down the hallway…. I don't know what's wrong – "

"We need to follow him. Restrain me if I lose my mind."

"HUH?"

"I don't know why, but I have a feeling that Aidyn's going to lead us to Mr. Yonegawa…."

"Y – you sure?"

"_Yes._"

"Oh…alright…"

Yukio refused to lean on Rin, he could walk on his own. And, as long as he averted his eyes from boy ahead, the throbbing skull was bearable. Aggravating as it was, the young man had no choice but to let his brother help with the mission… but one step out of line and he was –

"H – hey…Yukio…"

The doctor flinched….Why did he have such a violent reaction to his brother's voice? Why did he feel this extreme bitterness, like he wanted to be left alone... to be as far away from his brother as possible?

_Why can't you realize that protecting you would be THAT much easier if you stayed PUT? _

"What?"

"This teacher… are you … gonna kill him?"

"There's no other choice but to kill him."

"But – "

"It's _too late Rin_. Mr. Yonegawa's no longer human…He would want this…"

_Yes… He would…. Just like the corpse I dissected earlier… the one that wrote 'child' on the glass._

"He would? How do _you _know? –"

"_WHAT WOULD YOU DO THEN?..!_"

Rin and even Yukio was surprised by the roaring of his own voice… Everything was silent for a moment. His brother began to speak again.

"Hey. I'm worried about you."

"What…?"

Yukio's voice was coarse and low; Rin's response was firm.

"I'm worried. I think you're losing it with this virus. You don't seem like yourself."

The young man was silent… He couldn't find something to say to this. Brother continued.

"You're always out… And…when you're home you never eat… or sleep…..You look like a walkin' mess most of the time."

Silence.

"Yukio…. I know you're trying to help people….but…. how can you if you can't even help yourself?"

"You don't understand." The doctor said tiredly.

_You don't understand that your life is at stake…_

"Hey! Look – the little guy brought us…"

Yukio observed his surroundings. They now stood in the dark cafeteria. The only light source was the faint white glow of a rainy day seeping though the window. In a matter of seconds, there was a thud and Rin ran passed him.

"HEY! HEY! ARE YOU - ?..!"

Aidyn must've collapsed. Yukio couldn't afford to look…his sanity was at risk.

Why did the boy lead them here? Was there a connection between his temptant and the virus? Yukio would focus on that later, right now, he needed to find the teacher and rid the academy of this threat. The young man pulled out his gun and loaded it with a swift _click. _

"Alright Rin. Your job is done. Take Aidyn out of here, I will handle the rest."

"_Tsk!_… Didn't I say that you can't handle this on your own?..!"

"You don't have a choice…the boy – "

"I'll fight and shield him at the same time!"

"How arrogant."

"W – why you - ! Look who's talkin' four – eye's….or….er… mister – I'll – do – this –alone – just – to –look – cool!"

Yukio sighed.

"Arrogant _and _immature."

"Gaahh!"

Rin slung Aidyn over his shoulder and stood up, holding the boy in place with his left arm. The doctor eyes remained averted.

"Stay quiet." He whispered.

"Yeah – yeah whatever."

They remained frozen and silent for about fifteen minutes – a pin drop could be heard in the room. Yukio needed to find something…anything to figure out where Mr. Yonegawa was hiding…

Still. Still. Silence. Silence. Tension rising, was there something here? Was it sensible to rely on the judgment of a shivering insecure boy with a dangerous temptant? Rin yawned.

"Hey… Is he….gonna come out?"

"….I'm not sure – "

_**/sUcH fLoOdS…. SuCh bEaUtIfUl fLoOdS/ **_

Yukio's arm jolted his gun out before him. Rin grabbed the handle of his sword behind his back with the right hand. His voice was low and raspy.

"He's here."

"I know."

Rin turned his head surprised.

"You heard?...! But - isn't he sort-of a demon now? I thought demons could only hear other demons…"

"I know, I can't explain it…"

_I can't afford to worry about that right now – _

_**/tHy cHiLdReN sHaLL fOllOw/**_

"HEY!" Rin screamed out.

"Quit sayin' creepy things that don't make sense! Just come out!"

_**/tHy sHaLL ReTuRn tO tHy mOtHeRs/ **_

"IM NOT A BABY!"

_**/PrEcIoUs fLoOdS/ **_

Sweat dripped down Yukio's neck. The ominous voice echoed throughout the entire cafeteria… it seemed to come from everywhere. There was only one chance…

"Brother… Do you _sense _the teacher from anywhere?"

"Uuuuuhhhhh…. That stuff usually just comes to me… Uh – wait – uh…"

Rin turned his head from side to side frantically. Yukio became frustrated.

"_Forget it – _"

"WAIT – _That way._"

Brother's eyes were squeezed shut with concentration. He pointed to the left… toward the menus. The group carefully eased in that direction.

"Mr. Yonegawa, show yourself." The doctor announced.

"Don't make this any harder… Any resistance and I _will _shoot."

He knew it was pointless, of course. The teacher was beyond any reason and feeling… Yukio was only hoping to draw him out.

Or… at the very least he tried to tell himself that.

No response.

"Is he still here Rin?"

"Y…yeah – he's here."

"Where? Can you pinpoint a specific location?"

"Uhhhmmm…."

Aidyn, who was leaning unconsciously on Rin, began to stir. Brother whipped his head round to the boy….Yukio looked away and braced himself.

"Hey! Are you okay? You passed out, remember?"

"A – ah….R – Rin…."

"Yup it's me!"

The young man found it ridiculous that his brother kept on speaking when the boy clearly did not comprehend a word he said. Either way, Aidyn seemed to put heavy faith in Rin…. faith that Yukio himself was too afraid to give…

"You're not sick or anything right?"

"U – uh?"

"Sick. Are you sick from the demon?"

"…"

The rain outside grew heaver… They could hear its pattering from inside. The fragile boy gripped Rin harder (it appeared as though he was embracing him). He lifted his head up towards the ceiling and shrieked. Instantaneously the two brothers looked up as well.

Lightning flashed.

A malformed silhouette perched like a gargoyle on a bar protruding from the wall, high above. Wheezing… hacking up black fluid and scratching newly grown claws against the wood, Mr. Yonegawa stared down at them. Before Yukio could react, he sliced a chain connecting a miniature chandelier to the bar, sending it crashing down onto them. The group jumped out of the way, landing on their sides. Aidyn passed out for the second time. Yukio rolled onto his back and shot at the 'man' overhead.

The infected teacher dodged easily, jumping to different bars.

_I need to knock him down somehow!_

As though reading his mind, the Koma Sword was flung at the man, cutting the wood he sat on. While the 'man' fell, Yukio shot him with two sedation bullets. In an instant, Mr. Yonegawa laid motionless on the ground. Rin calmly retrieved and sheathed the sword. Afterwards, he ran towards Aidyn and slung arm over shoulder once more. Yukio looked down at the former respected faculty member with a blank expression.

"It's over… Mr. Yonegawa…"

It was difficult to believe that this creature was once a man he knew. Looking closely, the doctor could see dark veins and black plasma… all scarring the 'man's' face… twisting his skin, maiming it. The glasses he once wore were gone. They most likely fell and cracked during his rampage. His once frizzy orange hair now laid in slimy clumps beside the neck.

Indeed… It was over…

Brother approached from behind.

"Hey, what's that?"

"What?"

"That – that thing in his hand…"

"Hm? I don't see…"

Yukio kneeled down and in fact saw something white and thin in the 'man's' palm. The doctor pulled and smoothed it out. It was a picture of two students. The photo was water damaged, so only one person could be seen.

"I – It _can't _be…."

"W – what? What is it?"

Rin hunched over Yukio, also overcome with shock.

"I – IT'S THE OLD MAN! O – only.…he's not old here!"

There was no mistaking it… the young teenager in the picture was indeed Father Fujimoto attending cram school.

"I don't understand…" Yukio mumbled

"Why would Mr. Yonegawa cling onto this photo in such a crazed state? What relevance does it hold?"

Rin rubbed the back of his head in confusion. "Uh…why does a teacher have this picture in the first place? …it's kinda creepy…"

Yukio frowned. _It can't be that Dad - ! _

Wet claws sank through the young man's suit and into his neck. Mr. Yonegawa was on his feet again, and this time he grabbed the two brothers by the throat. The unconscious Aidyn dropped to the floor.

_**/t – tHy/**_

He looked at Rin.

_**/tHy sHaLL bE cLaImEd bY tHee gOdEss/**_

He looked at Yukio.

_**/tHy sHaLL bE cLaImEd bY tHee DoLLmAkEr/**_

_W – What? _

"Screw – _YOOOOOOOUU!_"

Rin burst into blue flames and the 'teacher' immediately released the two. He screamed in pain as his arm was covered in fire. To put it out, Yukio threw a holy water bomb at the 'man'. After the flame was doused, the remaining spray of holy water became black and sticky. The residue of slime covered the – lets face it – the _THING'S _body and seemed to give it strength. The creature hissed at the brothers stumbling from left to right. Yukio held out his gun, prepared to shoot. Rin called out.

"I don't think sedating him is gonna work!"

"I'm _not _going to sedate him."

"Wait, Yukio… you're not….?"

"There's no choice, Rin."

The young man's hands tightened around the firearm's handle.

"_I have to kill him._"

Brother clasped his hand over the gun's nose.

"_Hold it! _There has to be another way."

"Can't you see that there _isn't_?"

"Exorcists are supposed to _save lives! – _NOT TAKE THEM AWAY!"

"Rin – it's a _MONSTER!" _

"NO – _it's a TEACHER!" _

Rage, anxiety and guilt filled Yukio's tightening chest. He shoved Rin away with his arm, knocking his brother to the ground.

"Aaaarrg – Yukio – _DON'T!_"

"_WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE!_"

Mr. Yonegawa – a man – no - _it – _a thing – no – a man – a thing – Mr. Yonegawa charged at the group. Yukio released the safety on his gun… ready to fire….

_I'll do whatever it takes…._

_To keep my brother safe…._

"_On Basara Gini Nenhatana…Souka!_"

The chant seemed to come from nowhere. Before the doctor could pull his trigger, a magic barrier appeared in front of the 'man,' blocking the two from attack.

"Teacher! Okumura!"

The chanted shield came from Ryuji Suguro. He stood alone, fingers pressed together, forming a sign. The others weren't with him.

"_EEEHHH?..! _S – Suguro!"

Yukio tore an furious gaze at Suguro, demanding, "Students shouldn't be here, it's dangerous – _RUN! _Go now!"

A flash of confusion, then anger, appeared on the stocky teenager's face.

"_T – Then why's Okumura?..! - He's a student too!_"

Before Yukio could think of a response, the creature stood up and faced Suguro.

The student flinched and his shoulders tightened.

The thing charged, and the teenager began to chant once more… Though, it wouldn't do him much good. Even if he did block the creature, that wouldn't stop the black fluid from splashing and possibly getting on Suguro. He wasn't wearing a suit like Yukio, and clearly wasn't immune like Rin. The danger was inevitable…. And he knew it. The two brothers shouted at the top of their lungs.

"_NNNOOOOO!_"

"SUGUROOO!"

Then.

As luck would have it…

The thing collapsed before he could reach Rin's classmate.

Suguro dropped to his knees, relieved, realizing he dodged the kiss of death. After checking to see if the thing was out cold, Yukio ran over to his student. He could see Rin wanted go over as well. However, the tense look in Suguro's eyes made him reconsider.

"Stay calm." The doctor calmly stated.

"You'll need to be examined by the doctors."

In the distance, Yukio could hear a conversation between Rin and Aidyn.

"You're up?"

"U – up?"

"Yeah, you're okay?"

"O – okaaay…"

"Hey, listen! You helped us! Thanks!"

"T – thank…?"

"Yeah! We make a good team, huh? I'm sure one day you'll become an exorcist!"

"E – exorcist…"

"U – huh! And I'll be by you're side – we're buddies!"

"B – buddies?..!"

The boy's voice seemed stunned. As though he understood the word.

"Yeah! Buddies!" Brother happily exclaimed.

And then Yukio heard Aidyn sob into his hands.

Rin was dumbfounded.

"UH – UH – WAIT – UH – I – I DIDN'T MEAN TO MAKE YOU CRY OR ANYTHING!"

Something told Yukio they were tears of joy.

But they only filled the doctor with anger and distress.

**The photograph crunched tightly between his fingers.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hurry for Bon! Last minute hero!

Lol and yes Rin, I'm sure after passing out twice Aidyn's gonna make a great exorcist...


	16. Chapter 15: A Road to No Where

**A/N: **Thank you Hartanna, hitomi65, Swift-Star9, and animecutie610 for commenting!

Hartanna: Haha! Thanks! I'm glad I was able to make Rin funny!

hitomi65: Thanks!

Swift-Star9: O.O *awe struck* Wow! That's a large comment! I truly appreciate your interest and analysis in the story! Thank you for the criticism, I will take it into consideration! I can't, however, change Aidyn and Arisu's names – sorry! :(

I picked the names with the intention of them being a little unusual. In the story, their mother (who will become an essential character) is a strange woman, and therefore gave them strange names. Also, I am already 15 chapters in…

Animecutie610: THANK YOU – that's really nice of you to say! Haha! Don't worry, I like _writing _about Yukio's crisis of conscience! I'm glad you like Arisu too!

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><p><strong>A lone bus rolled down the streets of True Cross Academy Town.<strong>

"Y'sure you should be doing this girlie?" The driver asked, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

"Yes. Vairy." Arisu calmly stated as the vehicle rattled back and forth.

The man puffed on his smoke.

"Well _I _sure as hell wouldn't. _Hell! _– I wouldn't have agreed to drive you here if you didn't offer me that large sum of money. Do you see any other bus driving down here – no – but HEY – a man's gotta feed his family somehow, even if it means doing stupid things like this."

The bus driver was definitely a chatty one, not to mention _annoying_. The girl didn't even bother to pay attention to his words. Instead, she leaned head in hand and stared at the disheveled houses passing by.

"Some bug broke out, and all the normal people were evacuated. All that remains in this town are a couple of sick freaks. Strange things have been going on around these parts…_dangerous _things. Like out of nowhere, suddenly everyone's gone crazy – murders, kidnappings, cult ceremonies in people's basements – freaky _shit._ And not to be rude, honey, but with a little girl – not to mention – _a foreigner_ like yourself… You're dead meat…"

Still not listening, Arisu continued to gaze at the broken neighborhood. It was most likely a thriving place before "Noire Du Sang." Now it was a ghost town, an open mental home for infected citizens who no longer contained a _brain_. They'd lie in the shadow, breeding – living on the blood of others – like wild animals. The bus hit a bump and the two nearly jumped out of their seats. The bus driver cursed and mumbled under his breath.

"_F*ck! _Damn these roads… No one's bothered to fix them… Why the hell did I agree to this…?"

Arisu came here for one reason, and one reason only…

…to get dirt on Rin Okumura.

After prodding teachers and students for days, she finally discovered that the boy was raised in a _monastery. _

'_Aren't churches supposed to be for good people or something? _The girl thought ironically.

Meeting Okumura opened up old wounds about the first time Arisu was clueless enough to trust a human being….

That time with the blue-eyed man.

True, she hadn't seen the _pr*ck_ since she was little, and would probably never see him again….

However, that wasn't important.

The essential thing was…. that he became a _symbol _of humanity for Arisu –

How they were _ALWAYS_ devious.

How they could _NEVER_ be trusted…

…no matter _HOW_ kind they seemed on the surface.

The man's hatred for Aidyn was so deep that he devised a clever plan to get the boy alone – feigning niceness only to kill.

After him, many others had attempted this as well, appearing compassionate and sweet in order to gain a sick _trust…_ However, Arisu learned from her experience with the blue-eyed man and vowed never to trust any other person again.

Now, she would stop Okumura before he got any closer to her little brother – _the bastard_. Considering the evacuation, she didn't expect anyone to be in his home. She just wanted something to use… The guy must have some kind of secret – an old diary – an embarrassing photo of him and an old girlfriend he screwed over – ANYTHING.

The bus shook violently.

To sneak out during an epidemic and go hitchhiking to a nearly abandoned town meant dire consequences for Arisu. Isaac was probably going to KILL her when she came back. (If the virus didn't kill her first.) The girl smirked to herself.

_HMPH. So what? Let it be._

The thought of Isaac's irritated face – forehead red and lips white and tightened – seemed… almost amusing to her. He meant nothing compared to Aidyn.

….Aidyn…. her helpless baby brother… She'd do anything to keep him safe. Before Arisu left, she gave the boy specific instructions to stay in the room at all times. She told him to not let anyone in. He was only allowed to sneak out for food if she wasn't back in time. The thought of leaving Aidyn alone made Arisu sick to her stomach, but she had no choice.

"Drop me off at ze Souzern Cross Boy's Monestary." She ordered the driver.

"Sure thing, just don't expect a ride back."

The bus slowly came to a stop and Arisu stepped out. Ironically, despite her hatred towards other people, she turned and thanked the driver. It made her awkward and stiff.

"Z - zank 'ou."

For a moment, the man stared at her with reluctance.

"Um miss?"

"Hm?"

"Do me a favor and don't die. I really don't want to be responsible for a little girl's death – give me nightmares for months – "

The word 'months' was cut off as the man closed the doors and drove away. He seemed to be mumbling to himself towards the end of the sentence.

Looking up, Arisu gained a full view of the area. Tall buildings, billboards and old cable lines stretched over and hugged the gray sky. She could see empty, dulled out lights on these structures… no longer providing illumination or color. Set up high, above even the buildings was a railroad – old, rusted, unused.

The monastery ahead was a huge clash from the surrounding urban setting. The building appeared old fashioned, something that would be found in a small village…. a homey looking place? It certainly wasn't the extravagant cathedrals Arisu had seen while traveling with her mother –

_**The air was cold and brisk.**_

_**It filled her lungs with a feeling of awe.**_

_**Flecks of snow kissed her face as she stared at the towering structure.**_

_**The little girl stood, brother's timid hand in hers.**_

_**Mother's back was a shadow that cast over them.**_

_**She knew the woman's expression.**_

_**She knew her mother longed for something other than what she had.**_

"_**Only your brother." The woman said.**_

"_**You must wait out here, Arisu."**_

_**With this, the little girl stomped her feet and shrieked to the heavens. **_

"_**I WANT TO GO TOO!"**_

"_**I WANT TO GO WITH YOU AND AIDYN!"**_

_**Brother's hand slipped away.**_

"_**In time." Mother stated.**_

_**Salty tears ran down the little girl's round face as the stone doors shut her out.**_

"_**In time…" **_

_**In years she would run from this path.**_

_**In years she would be submerged…**_

_**And greet the decaying corpse. **_

Arisu heard the faint sound of chatter and pans clattering in the distance. Everything…. was too…bright.

It always was after a hallucination.

They never made any sense either, but the girl accepted this as a part of life. In fact, she hardly thought about her delusions. When ever she began to wonder about these sorts of things… her mind would usually switch to something else –

Something less…. tedious?

"Miss…Miss….Miss, are you alright?"

"Hey! Kyodo – Maurta! She's responsive!"

_Dammit!_ She couldn't see…couldn't see… her eyes were too sensitive. It was all so DUMB. After a few seconds of confusion, she felt something hard beneath her…Arisu found that she was sitting on a wooden table.

Struggling to look up, the girl's vision eventually cleared. Standing before her were three men. One had black fuzz on his face, the other had blond hair that stuck up, and the third was plump. All had concerned yet intrigued looks in their eyes. What was going on? Where the hell was she? It was all too frustrating… It was all so DUMB! Arisu's eyes traced down to the white sections of the men's' collars.

They were clergymen.

"A – AM I?..!" The girl exclaimed, nearly jumping from the table.

Was she here? Was she in the monastery?..!

"Miss, please calm down, we'll explain everything." The man with fuzz assured her softy.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" He held up three.

Arisu, finding this all very bizarre, thought maybe she wasn't in the church after all. Maybe she died and was in some weird limbo…or maybe it was just another hallucination. That too was possible.

"Uhhh zat reely depends on 'ou…" Even spacy, Arisu just _had _to be sarcastic.

"Zat?...'ou? She has an accent…French I think…?" High–hair thought out loud.

"Well, we already knew she was foreign, didn't we?" The fuzz man piped up. "She certainly doesn't _look _Japanese."

He laughed and patted Arisu's back enthusiastically.

"You're fine. You're okay now!"

Still confused, Arisu decided to ask some questions.

"Uum…. Where am I?"

"You're in the Southern Cross Boy's Monastery." The plump one stated; his voice was oddly high-pitched.

Ah–ha! So she was here after all! Like so many other times in her life, Arisu had blacked out and ended up somewhere else… only this time she ended up where she wanted to be.

"Izumi over here found you staring off into space mumbling outside the gate." Fuzz man continued.

"O – oh…."

"Don't worry about it miss, we've found plenty of others like you outside."

"What?"

"This place is a sanctuary for those trying to conceal themselves from the virus outside…. Don't worry; many others were frightened as well. I've seen symptoms and you have it."

"Sanctuary…?"

Fuzz mumbled something about her probably still being dazed to High–Hair. Arisu was not accustomed to words such as 'sanctuary' because they had never been a part of her existence. There was no place where her and Aidyn could live peacefully – that just wasn't how the world worked. Arisu had to force herself through everything to keep her brother safe…. No one would ever offer safety on a sliver platter…never….never… Did they want something from her? It was all so confusing – so DUMB! It made the girl sick. She chose not to think on it further.

Looking around, Arisu clarified that she was, in fact, indoors. She was in some kind of kitchen. It was only then that she noticed bowls of soup next to her on the table….for the….other people…most likely. Fuzz took one and gave it to her.

"Here. Why don't you eat? Then you can tell me what's a pretty little girl like you doing out side."

The man was trying to get a smile out of Arisu, lighten her up. But instead he made her extremely awkward. She stared at the soup wordlessly. These people barely knew her…why were they being so…. kind? What was 'kind'? Did it even exist? The girl looked everywhere except the man's eyes. In the distance she heard High – Hair's voice.

"You're making her uncomfortable."

"What?..!" Fuzz shouted back.

"'A pretty girl like you'…that's just plain creepy. Not only are you middle–aged, but you're a priest too y'know!"

"What?...! I'm not - It was meant to be fatherly!"

"Hahaha!"

For some reason Arisu wanted to scream.

_What do 'ou mean 'making 'er unconfortable'?...! _

_Why do 'ou care?..! _

'_Ou are lying! _

'_Ow could 'ou care!_

_Why – WHY?...! It just doesn't make any sense!_

Still bickering, Fuzz walked towards the stove to assist High–Hair in dinner. Suddenly, Arisu noticed a convenient photo album on the chair next to her. She needed something else to think about… The girl reached for the album and opened its pages. Now, she probably should've asked to look though it, but Arisu was so used to doing whatever she wanted without permission, it simply didn't occur to her.

On the very first page she saw the face of Okumura flipping though a magazine…. with….a…. half… naked _girl_…. on…the …cover… _Bastard._

OKUMURA – OF COURSE! The reason she was there in the first place - her brother's safety! The weirdness of these priests distracted her. She needed to act now, _right now_, no holding back!

"Oh!" She called out.

"Who is _zis _boy?"

The priests turned as Arisu lifted the album and pointed at the picture. They smiled immediately. She ignored the discomfort in her stomach…guilt?

"Haha! That's Rin, he grew up here."

"Oh reely?... 'E's 'andsome."

The men burst out laughing, elbowing each other. Arius swallowed back a lump of revulsion from her statement.

"Haha! Believe me, youdon't wanna date him! You should stick to his brother."

"Yeah date Yukio instead!"

This conversation was completely alien to the girl. This was because she considered herself practically asexual and had absolutely NO interest in romance whatsoever. What was it called?... A boyfriend? In the past, Arisu was forced to attend _stupid _parties and overhear brainless party guests discuss the subject of men. They talked about suitors like they were expendable jewelry, a status symbol – a little puppy to flaunt around and make everyone else jealous.

'_Oh! He got me this necklace for my birthday.'_

'_My boyfriend drove me in his Mercedes the other night!'_

'_Slut. She's just jealous because he thinks I'm more attractive.'_

It made her want to flip over the table.

Arisu had no desire for a _'boyfriend'_. It sounded stupid. Not to mention it was just too much work. She didn't feel like spending every waking moment with some person for the mere purpose of making herself look good. Why did she need to be on the arm of a man to feel confident?

Furthermore, she just didn't like people in general.

Simple as that.

"Why do 'ou say zat? Did zis Rin do somezing wrong?"

Arisu tried to sound as innocent as possible.

"Well – haha – He's not exactly a gentleman!" High–Hair specified.

"Now Yukio on the other hand, the kid's good at sports, gets good grades… He got a full scholarship to True Cross Academy – amazing, huh? Top of the class too!"

"Oh wow!"

_I COULD NOT CARE LESS. _

_ZIS ISN'T 'ELPING._

The way these people spoke about Mr. Okumura was full of pride. Even though what they said about Rin was negative…there seemed to be a form of an endearment to it… like they were teasing him in a way… It was all very weird. Arisu couldn't wait to get out of there. (Though she didn't plan ahead and had no clue how she was going to get back.)

Another thing that struck her was… if Rin was that brainless…. How the hell did he get into True Cross in the first place?

"Where iz Rin now?"

"You've really got your heart set on him don't you?..!"

"Haha! And after all we've said about Yukio! Guess you can't have it all!"

"If only Father Fujimoto was here!"

_Fazer Fujimoto? _

Strangely, the name rang a bell to Arisu. She felt like she heard it before…

"Who iz zat?"

To her surprise, the room went quiet; the three priests stared at their feet in sorrow. Finally, Fuzz looked up and spoke.

"He was Rin and Yukio's foster father….He….died last year…."

This was followed by even more silence. For some reason, Arisu did not expect that answer. _Death. _Her awkwardness and (although she'd never admit to it) guilt increased dramatically. The girl wanted to leave… she wanted to go back. Why did she come here in the first place? Even if Rin did have some kind of secret, these men, who've seen him grow up, would never admit to it…

It was too late though… She didn't even have a way back.

While Arisu searched for Rin's past, she was completely oblivious to the horrifying events that have occurred at True Cross. While students were crammed into quarantined areas, the sickly body of Mr. Yonegawa was dragged away. Ryuji Suguro was tested for the virus, and Aidyn, her brother, snuck out for the sole purpose to see the boy she despised.

In the distance the silhouette of a man, along with a cat–demon stood atop a high building…watching…. waiting.

The sky was black against their shadows.

"Ah… all as well." The man spoke softly.

"I prefer it like this anyway…much more fun. Isn't that right… mighty beast?"

The creature let out a senseless and violent growl. The man seemed amused.

"Ahaha… The Goddess ordered Dollmaker to obtain the children…. And thus, Dollmaker turned to me…her servant."

He closed his eyes and lifted his head, inhaling the night air. Opening them, the man stated –

"They will all drown soon…. Drown in a primitive sea of despair. I can smell it. I can smell their blood being shed. Oh how I want it so."

Gazing up into the Heavens, as though mocking them, he spoke once more.

"_**The Maledictum shall rise."**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Oh yeah! I forgot to mention something…

Did anyone make the connection between the Dollmaker and the Prologue? Hm? Hmmm?

Oh! And, although Fujomoto's past plays a role in this plot, there's no need to worry, Arisu (or Aidyn, or Isaac) is NOT secretly his biological child.


	17. Chapter 16: Relevance

**A/N: **Thank you AnimeKpopKawaii and SuperiorDimwit for commenting!

**AnimeKpopKawaii:** Thanks for your interest! I'm excited that you noticed a similarity between Arisu and Yukio, I never realized how much the two were a like until after I began writing the story. Lol it's funny you say that about Sheimi because I *COUGH* feel exactly the same way. *COUGH* I'm just neurotic about keeping people in character. However, I intend on complicating Rin's feelings in later chapters! (spoiler XD) Lol poor Yukio is loosing his sanity by the second….

**SuperiorDimwit:** I appreciate you looking at my DeviantArt! Thank you! Lol! Yes! Yukio is powerless without his glasses! Thanks for the advice about the accent. XD I've been using the Fourth Harry Potter book as a reference.

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><p>"<em><strong>Sooo… Suguro's test results came out negative you say?"<strong>_

Rin sat on a plush sofa, listening carefully as the headmaster and Yukio conversed.

It was only five hours ago that the teacher was stopped.

Those were the longest hours of Rin's life.

During that time, he was forced to wait in Mephisto's office until his brother came to elevate – wait no – EVALUATE the situation. He sat there in dread, as the weirdo man asked about Rin's studies and forced him to play stupid, kiddy board games. As for Aidyn, he was immediately rushed home the moment Isaac arrived on the scene. Rin hoped the little guy was all right…

Not knowing whether Suguro was sick or not…. it killed him… One could imagine how anxious and fidgety Rin must've gotten. He felt like a five-year-old waiting for a parent to come pick him up from daycare. Even so, the teen did feel some relief when his brother walked through the doors with good news.

"Yes," Yukio stated coolly, refusing to sit down.

"He's completely clean of the virus. We've double checked to make sure."

"Aahhh…isn't that fortunate. Was anyone else infected?" The man purred, sipping his tea.

"None sir, the only students outside the quarantines were Kamiki, Shima, Konekomaru, and Suguro. Out them all, Suguro was the only one who encountered Mr. Yonegawa. Despite this, we had them all tested… each came out negative. The faculty, as we speak, are being checked as well."

"I see… Good work, Mr. Okumura."

Mephisto was a very suspicious guy. He always seemed amused, no matter how bad a situation got. Not to mention his wardrobe… The guy wore every bright color and pattern under the sun – polka dots… stripes…. It made him hard to look at.

The pointy beard placed firmly on his chin made Mephisto look like an old-fashioned villain on a late night television show. His smile was creepy too, but that went hand in hand with the whole suspicious thing. Rin knew that he and the old man were buddies … but… the teen couldn't help but be wary…

The headmaster turned towards Rin.

"You helped too Okumura, hmm? Did you use your flame?"

"I – "

Yukio cut him off.

"Only once… and Rin didn't loose control of himself. After he spewed fire, the situation was dealt with swiftly."

Rin grumbled.

_I still HELPED…. I'm not ALWAYS a walking disaster…._

Mephisto continued to smile.

"Now, now, there's no need to get defensive, Mr. Okumura. I'm not going to report your dear brother over here, I just wanted the details."

Yukio was silent, and the headmaster continued.

"I assure you that this will never happen again. I'm currently working on preparations to strengthen the protection of our students and faculty."

Instead of answering, Yukio addressed Rin with a stern tone.

"Rin, why don't you go back to the dorm?"

"HUH? Why?"

"_Just go back."_

"What about you?"

"I'm busy."

"But – "

The teen yawned from exhaustion. It was late, about 10:00? Being accustomed to eleven hours of sleep a night, Rin gave into the argument. He pointed a finger at his brother and shouted.

"Arrrgg… Fine, _Mom, _but don't think I'm doing this just because you told me to!"

And yet he was doing exactly what Yukio wanted him to.

Rin stormed to the door, but before he left, he turned his head with a serious look.

"Hey…Yukio."

"What?"

"Don't work so late… You need to rest too, y'know?"

"…"

His brother did not respond and the teen walked outside. Rin was about to tread down the hallway when he overheard Yukio's voice from behind the door.

"Mr. Pheles, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with you."

"Ahh! Is that so? In that case please – PLEASE! Sit down!"

Curiosity pulled Rin's ear to the wall like a magnet.

_Ah – HA! So THAT'S why you kicked me out, huh, Four–Eyes?_

"So? What seems to be on your mind?"

"I find the previous dilemma suspicious."

"Hmm really? How so?"

"…. Doesn't it all seem too neat?"

"Hmmm?"

"One teacher gets infected and everyone else conveniently escapes with their lives."

"Would you prefer the deaths of countless others?"

"That's _not _what I'm saying… "

"Then what _are _you suggesting Mr. Okumura? ~ "

"I'm suggesting it was a set up."

"A _trap, _you say? Whatever do you think the demon responsible wants from us?"

From the teasing in Mephisto's voice, Rin could tell the man already knew the answer to that.

_Probably me, right? Being Satan's son…_

"I believe it was after brother and I."

The teen was surprised by the _'and I'_ part. The teacher wanted Yukio too? Why…? Sweat rolled down Rin's neck in concern for his brother.

"Are you suggesting that Mr. Yonegawa was purposely infected in order to retrieve you and Rin? And he purposely avoided poisoning others because the task would get messy?"

"Yes."

"OH! How riveting! _Tell me, _Mr. Okumura, what led you to such a conclusion?..!"

"….During the incident, there was a point when Mr. Yonegawa grabbed us….and spoke. He told Rin that he would…'be claimed by the Goddess' and told me that I would 'be claimed by the Dollmaker…"

There was a long silence in the room. Rin couldn't hear Mephisto mumble under his breath.

"Well isn't that something."

"The goddess and the dollmaker…." Yukio pressed. "Tell me Mr. Pheles…. Are these terms familiar to you?"

"What's this? Am I a suspect, Mr. Okumura?"

"…I… confess that I originally thought Astaroth was responsible…but now…."

Long silence…

His kid-brother continued.

"….The first mission I encountered 'Noire Du Sang'… an infected demon stated: 'Mother is calling'…. I can't help but wonder, sir, … if this so-called 'Mother' may also be the 'Goddess' Mr. Yonegawa mentioned earlier. Mr. Pheles…surely an exorcist with your experience must've at least _heard_ about a female demon in the past."

Rin's cheek was becoming sweaty from pressing his face against the wall, but he couldn't pull away.

_Female? A GIRL demon is behind this? What does she want with me….?_

"_Tsk-tsk, _Mr. Okumura. Don't ignore my question, it's quite rude." The headmaster's voice was low and mischievous. He spoke slowly, as though he wanted Yukio to hang on every word.

"…"

"Tell me…._** Am I a suspect?**_"

The teen was almost a hundred percent sure the man looked creepy at that moment. He almost felt bad for Four-eyes there…

"It's like I said before sir, I only asked because of your experience….and…._this._"

Rin's brother must've handed Mephisto something, because his voiced boomed with excitement.

"_What is THIS!~_"

Rin jolted from the door, cursing…. The guy's voice was so freakin' _loud_. After two seconds of recovery… he returned to the wall. This time he peeked through a keyhole to see… Why the hell did he not think of that before?

Mephisto was still at his desk and Yukio was still standing. The picture was floating in midair, in front of the man's face… some kind of magic or whatever.

"This was found in the possession of Mr. Yonegawa. It's a photo of Father Fujimoto as a child. I believe he was in cram school at the time it was taken."

"Correct you are! Ah, what a time it was."

Cutting the _'sentimental' _(Who knows if Mephisto was serious or not?) moment, Yukio got down to business.

"That's why I ask you, Mr. Pheles. You were close friends with my foster father… Was he involved?"

"Hmm?"

"Did Father Fujimoto ever face this 'Goddess' – or virus as a teenager? And… who is the other person in the picture? It's water-damaged so we can't see her face."

The headmaster let out a fake sigh.

"Oh well…. I'm afraid it was such a long time ago that I seemed to have forgotten…. _Tell me,_ Mr. Okumura…are you aware of the significance of a photo?"

_EEEHHH?..! What's that got to do with anything?...! _Rin thought.

His brother seemed to feel the same way.

"I don't see the how that's relevant to the – "

"A photo is taken to capture a critical moment in one's life. If a person were to take an album and observe carefully, he or she may be able to read the entire experience of another."

"….."

"That's precisely why I keep this!"

Mephisto pointed his umbrella at Four-Eyes.

"Eins…Zwei…DRE!*"

Out of nowhere, a weird polka-dotted album emerged out of a poofy cloud of pink puffiness and nearly fell on Yukio's head.

Luckily he was able to catch it. (Though, secretly, Rin would've much preferred for it to have dropped on his head. Not that he wanted his brother to get hurt – it was just that it would be nice to see Four-Eyes screw up once in a while. Rin could feel like the cool brother for once.)

His brother seemed annoyed by not getting an answer.

"Sir, what are you implying by all this?"

Mepshisto stared down coolly.

"You may find that this picture fits quite well with the rest of the album…. If you look _closely _you may find that something's _missing. _Why don't you re-jog my memory and come back later."

_THAT MADE NO SENSE!_

Yukio did not respond, he only nodded and walked toward the exit.

_Crap! I need to get outta here! _

But it was too late.

**By the time Rin scrambled away from the entrance, his brother had opened the door. **


	18. Chapter 17: Crumbled and Unread

_**Yukio had absolutely no time for squabbling.**_

_Every single second counts. The more I wait… The closer December comes. _

"UH – hey Yukio – I just… forgot that _THING_…. that's all…."

The doctor strode past Rin, completely snubbing his older brother. He didn't have time for this – he needed to _work! _

"Y – Yukio…?"

Without turning his head, the young man answered.

"I knew you were eavesdropping the whole time."

"_THEN WHY'D YOU KICK ME OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE?...!" _

Still walking, Yukio's voice became distant.

"You should _still_ go back to the dorm brother. _I'm busy._"

"Hey! – Hey wait!"

"Don't follow me. There's something I need to do Rin… ALONE."

Just like that, the doctor left Mr. Pheles's office and his brother along with it. Yukio needed a place to think – to work things over.

The young man did not trust the headmaster; he was certain the man knew much more than he let on…. Besides, Mr. Pheles had always placed Rin in scenarios where he was pushed to use Satan's flames.

There was this photo album as well…and a mystery that came with it. Mr. Pheles gave Yukio this puzzle… now he needed to solve it.

'_You may find that this picture fits quite well with the rest of the album…. If you look closely you may find that something's missing. Why don't you re-jog my memory and come back later.'_

Something missing… re-jog memory… what did it all mean?

Yukio was going to find out.

The doctor's thoughts had blurred his surroundings. He merely walked on, album in hand, pondering about the current situation. Hallways melded to campuses and campuses melded into more hallways…. until Yukio reached the library. It was a sensible place to think… quiet… peaceful…surrounded by other pieces of information that might've been useful.

Tiredly, he plopped the book on a nearby table and sat down. Logically, no other student was in the library at the moment. If the pupils weren't in the quarantines, they were escorted to their dormitories. It was all right though…. It was better this way… the more silence the better.

Slowly, Yukio began to turn the pages of the absurdly decorated album.

Seconds…minutes…. hours had passed and he found nothing significant. All the young man saw were old pictures of people he wasn't acquainted with. His eyes did, however, drift across a young Mr. Yonegawa… laughing in his school uniform and casually elbowing a friend beside him.

Yukio quickly averted them.

_Focus… focus…._

He continued to turn the pages until he eventually found more of Father Fujimoto… It was so strange…. Yukio had never seen his foster father look so innocent and inexperienced. In most of these images, he gave an immature pose: he was either pulling down his eyelid or sticking out his tongue.

One had his face so up close, only a quarter of it could be seen. Another had the man…or rather _teenager, _leaning against the wall of a cram school classroom. His uniform was a sloppy too, the tie undone, the jacket unbuttoned…. Yukio even saw a photo of him _sleeping _in class…

The doctor closed the album, disturbed.

He forced himself to acknowledge the fact that every single adult, even the most wise, was at some point… a child. However, Yukio could not get over – what he found disturbing about the pictures were –

Were that they reminded him of Rin.

This caused an array of mixed emotion to enter the doctor… among them being jealousy. Fujimoto, Paladin, the greatest exorcist of all time, acted like his immature brother when he was young. Fujimoto had the very same attitude that Yukio often scolded Rin for having…? Meanwhile he worked hard all his life and took everything serious…?

Despite this, the young man also felt extreme, yet irrational worry.

_If Rin and Dad are alike…. And Dad got himself killed…._

_What would stop Rin from doing the same?_

_I WOULD._

Yukio Okumura would stop his brother from getting killed, even if it meant doing so by force. The doctor pushed himself to reopen the album and continue his research. Yes… these pictures were definitely taken in the same time frame as the one in Mr. Yonegawa's possession.

'_You may find that this picture fits quite well with the rest of the album'_

_Was that what you meant, Mr. Pheles?_

The young man needed to look harder….

'_If you look closely you may find that something's missing.'_

But what? What could possibly be missing? Yukio thought on the picture… Father Fujimoto as a child…. the person next to him could not be identified….

That was it!

Although the water damage stopped him from _identifying _the person, it failed to cover up key features. For one thing, Yukio knew for a _fact _that the fellow student was female – he could tell by her school uniform. Another thing was that, although blurry, her hair was most certainly blond. Yuko perused the entire album to the very last page, but did not find a single picture of a blond cram school student.

That was missing… the girl. Of course! The water damage was placed on purpose, whatever demon _was _behind this…. He/she did not want Yukio to find her.

What connection did this girl have to the virus? To the 'Goddess'? Or to the 'Dollmaker'…? It still didn't make any sense… How was she going to help Yukio find a cure? Vague and as frustrating as it was, it was still a piece of information.

A lead was still a lead.

"Hey, look at that!"

Yukio flinched violently and whipped around to see Rin hovering right over him. Fury engulfed the doctor as he yelled.

"I told you to go back to the dorm!"

"Whoa! Who took the creeper image of him sleepin' in class!"

"YOU'RE NOT LISTENING! Why are you here?...!"

"I _TOLD _you that you can't handle this by yourself."

"I've been handling myself for eight _years,_ Rin."

It was a slight dig, implying how Dad had taken Yukio, not Rin, to be his apprentice at age seven. However, his brother either chose to ignore this statement or it went over his head… It probably went over his head.

"YEAH, but in the state you're in right now, no way!"

Infuriated, Yukio stood abruptly from his chair and hovered over his brother in an unforgiving manner. He held the album in his arms.

"Rin, _listen to me,_ if you have _any _sense_, any_ intuition, or just _any _intelligence – PERIOD….YOU WILL STAY OUT OF THIS."

Brother stared back with equal intensity, his pupils slit and glowing blue…. much like a demon's…

"_I'm his son too, Yukio – just letting y'know that."_

"_Then start acting like it._"

"WHY YOU – "

Rin grabbed Yukio's collar and the album slipped from the doctor's arms. It crashed to the floor along with piles of photos. The young man ripped himself from his brother and went to collect them.

"_Tsk…._Now look what you've done…"

Yukio expected a snarky comeback but instead Rin lifted pieces of lightly torn paper from behind.

"What are these?...! I think they fell out of the album….but I can't read them!."

The doctor took the papers and examined them. They must've been very old, the texture itself was gritty and lightly crumbling. Yukio could see swirls of black ink forming the text of an ancient language he encountered before….

"They're _pages._"

"Heh?"

"They're pages of some kind of….book…."

"Hehehe…"

"…._What?_"

"See? I _told _you you'd need my help! Hehehe…. You would've never discovered these if it weren't for me!"

"….Please….. I would've found them eventually."

"Hmph _sure. _Just keep tellin' yourself that…. Anyway, now that we figured something out…. how about getting some shut-eye?"

"I already told you I have to wor – "

"C'mon Four-eyes! It's 1:00 AM! AND you were practically falling asleep at the table before! You're gonna collapse any second!"

"I am not – "

"_YOU GO TO SLEEEEEP!_"

And thus Yukio was dragged to the dormitory by his brother's inhuman strength. Rin tried watching him like hawk for hours, waiting for the doctor to drift off into unconsciousness… only to do so himself. His brother laid there, sprawled on the floor snoring. Yukio crept away from a sleeping Rin and approached his desk. There, he pulled out his research journal.

**September 20****th****, 2012. **

**Yukio Okumura**

**Research Log: 3**

**Much has occurred and I fear for the worst. Mr. Yonegawa, a fellow superior of mine, caught "Noire Du Sang" and I was forced to bring him into captivity. I know it is only a matter of time before I will have to examine him the same way I inspected the corpse from my last autopsy. As for the demon responsible, I am beginning to doubt my theory on Astaroth. It was a disorganized mistake on my part. **

**I labeled this demon as a suspect on the sole basis of him causing disease in the past. This, however, is merely circumstantial evidence and would require solid proof. I am aware of the virus's great connection with water, and Astaroth's kin's attraction to moisture. This may seem like physical evidence, but it is not. While, yes, it is true that his kin thrives in damp places, they are not the moisture itself. **

**Under a microscope, I have seen multiple slides of the black plasma carried by the infected. Never once have I seen the fluid contain virulent spores like the Impure King*. Instead, it was the entire mass that was infectious. To summarize, the black water is not carrying the virus; it is the virus. **

**My new, more researched theory is that the demon responsible takes water and physically changes it into something putrid. I have seen this myself while facing Mr. Yonegawa, when I threw a holy-water bomb at him. The very water morphed into a black mass that made the infected stronger. **

**It is too soon to label another suspect. However, I do have some theories. I believe the teacher was being controlled by what he called, 'The Goddess' and 'The Dollmaker'. At the current moment, I am working on finding them. I theorize that the 'Goddess' is perhaps the demon responsible. It is still unclear who or what the 'Dollmaker' may be. A demon? Most likely. **

**I have discussed the matter with Mr. Mephisto Pheles, who, in turn, gave me a valuable, yet perplexing, piece of evidence. Father Fujimoto, my foster father, is involved in this somehow. The infected teacher was in possession of a photo of him, purposely water-damaged to hide the identity of one of his previous classmate. I also discovered pieces of an old book, which may provide me with information on the 'Goddess' and 'Dollmaker'.**

**I am convinced that it was Father Fujimoto who hid these pages. The very text that he once studied, I am about to study as well. Unfortunately, the text is in an unknown language and is going to take some time to translate. I will start this tonigh – **

***The Impure King was a kin of Astaroth, who caused a widespread epidemic during the late Edo period.**

"_WHAaddya THIinK you're dOOin'? HUH little brother?"_

The disturbed voice came from behind Yukio….it was coarse and made strange dips.

That voice belonged to Rin.

"Didn't I sAAyyy that yOOu nEEd to slEEp….?"

"….."

**Yukio Okumura was tied to his bed that night.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **XD Never interrupt Rin's beauty sleep…


	19. Chapter 18: Taken Taken Taken DROWNED

"**The guy's a **_**freak, **_**no doubt about it." **

"Okumura? He's nuts! A demon!"

"Once in grammar school, a friend and I were joking around in the bathroom, and BOOM! Out of nowhere Okumura goes nuts and beats the heck out of us!"

"In all my years, I have never heard a single good thing _about_ that young man!"

"Rin Okumura? There's nothing much to say about that boy. He worked for me once, but he was too rowdy and violent – so I fired him."

"I feel awfully sorry for those priests who have to put up with him – and Yukio! To have him as a brother – goodness!"

"I tried my best as his grammar school teacher– and I hate to say it for Father Fujimoto's sake, he was a great man – but honestly, the boy's a waste. He either skipped school or got into fights…none of us could control his violent tendencies! He could never hold down job either – yes, a complete waste."

These were few of the many answers Arisu received while asking around the Monastery. It was easy for her to investigate without the priests noticing because she did so while handing out breakfast to the people. A task that she _oh so_ selflessly volunteered for.

Realizing she had absolutely no way out, the girl slept over the monastery the previous night. Now, it was 9:30 in the morning, and the building was filled with casual chatter and golden sunlight. It would've been peaceful, if one didn't remember that he or she was doomed, surrounded by a broken town of death and screams.

The fellow citizens she questioned all seemed to share the same opinion of Rin Okumura.

He was violent.

A reject.

A thug.

A monster.

In other words, he was practically everything Arisu thought he was – a danger to her brother. The girl set a bowl of rice (food was beginning to run low) down on a little girl's lap, her chores finally complete. She sat down and noticed the two parents beside the child – a woman with brown hair and a man with an oversized nose. The two agreed to share one bowl.

"Sweetie?" The woman asked.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"Ah… no, I already ate…"

It was a lie. Not that she felt guilty or anything…. Arisu just didn't come to eat. She came to get information about Okumura….

It had nothing to do with the people….

Or the shortage of food….

Sitting there, with that family, reminded the girl of Aidyn and his safety. Her muscles became stiff with worry. An entire night by himself…. Would he be all right? Suddenly, Arisu got an idea. She would sneak into an empty room and attempt to call Aidyn on her cellphone.

The couple and child didn't see the girl get up and slink away. Easing through the mass of people and tiptoeing over mattresses.

"Ah…excuse me…."

"Coming zrough…."

"Move it _baldy!_"

After a few more tiptoeing and insults, she finally reached the perfect place. It was a bedroom. Arisu wondered why this area wouldn't be used, but she quickly discarded it – calling her brother was more important. She didn't even bother to observe the room closely.

Pulling out her gray phone, Arisu leaned tightly against a wall and dialed the boy's number.

_Come on…. Come on…._

A timid voice in French answered.

"H – hello?"

"AID – "

Arisu instantly shushed herself… she needed to be quiet.

"Aidyn! 'Ow are you?"

"Ah! Sister!" He sounded excited.

"I – I miss you…"

"Aww… I'm sorry baby…. I am going to be back _veiry _soon. Did you eat? Isaac is not giving you a 'ard time right?"

"O – oh… Isaac's m – mad….._v – veiry _mad."

"Hmph. I knew 'e would be – is 'e bozering you?"

"N – no… 'e's ignoring me. T – too busy looking for you."

"Ah I see… Well do not worry. Anyway, _did _you eat?...Aidyn?…..Aidyn?…..Aidyn?"

No response.

She lost service.

_Sh*t! _

This place, this monastery… truly was a bubble, isolated, enclosed by the virus. What if she never got home? What if she died in this place with a crowd of strangers? How would it happen? Starvation? Or would the sickness leak in? Arisu could see Aidyn now… alone, afraid, curled up in his room….

Placing the phone back in her pockets, Arisu mindlessly scanned the floor. Her eyes froze at one spot…. The very reason why no one was here… The spot was brown, no, more like an old rusted color…. a color that used to be a cherry red.

It was a blood spatter…. or at least the stain it left behind….

For some twisted reason, Arisu imagined a body lying there in that area…. The corpse had streams of blood curling down it's eyes, ears, and mouth. Something horrible happened to that person… something _KILLED _him…

And although she did not know what he looked like…. the girl imagined that person being Father Fujimoto.

Arisu was frozen, she couldn't think, couldn't breathe.

_A man died here._

_A man was murdered here…._

_Was it Rin...? _

Out of nowhere, a collision of loud voices erupted from down the hallway.

"Sir – _sir! _You must calm down!" The cry came from one of the priests.

"HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO F*CKING CALM DOWN?...! MY SON! MY SON!"

Arisu ripped herself from the blood spot and eased down the hallway. When the girl reached the room of people and mattresses, she saw a ragged middle-aged man near the outside door. His clothes were ripped and his eyes were bloodshot. Fuzz was right in front of the man; she could tell by the way his shoulders hunched that the situation was serious.

"Please… settle down – "

"THEY TOOK HIM! THEY TOOK MY SON!"

"SIR – "

The man hiccupped and agonized to the priest.

"T – they t – took my s – son…. We t – tried to get here but those sons-of-b*tches came and dragged him a – away. THEY SAID THEY COULD USE HIM! THEY SAID IF HE WAS LUCKY HE WOULDN'T DROWN LIKE THE REST US!"

Arisu didn't notice the little girl, the one she gave food to before, crying in her mother's arms. Instead, the words 'taken' and 'drown' filled the girl's mind and consciousness. This man's son was stolen from him… taken… She'd seen this before… she'd seen this… Somewhere beyond the walls of her mind Arisu had seen this happen before.

Taken. Taken. Taken. _**DROWNED.**_

_**The girl was running from something. **_

_**And wished oh so dearly that mother was there to protect her.**_

_**They were coming…. coming….**_

_**Coming to take her away…. though she couldn't remember why. **_

_**The forest dirt crunched against her little black shoes.**_

_**Branches ensnared and ripped at her lace dress…. **_

_**She needed to hide.**_

_**She didn't want them to find her. **_

_**There! A pond! **_

_**The little girl jumped inside, forgetting her inability to swim. **_

_**AND – there it was – **_

_**The corpse – **_

_**The filthy rotted thing that stared at the girl with unblinking eyes – **_

'_**Did you put me here?'**_

'_**Do you know who put me here?' **_

'_**You cannot escape them… all shall drown someday…'**_

_**The hand.**_

_**Grabbed her.**_

_**Pushed her under.**_

_**Made her suffer.**_

'_**Enough. You've had your fun. Now take the girl.'**_

'_**Yes… Dollmaker…." **_

The man struck Fuzz with his fist and screamed.

"AREN'T YOU PRIESTS?...! YOU'RE SUPPOST TO PROTECT US FROM EVIL!"

"PROTECT MY SON! PROTECT MY SON! PROTECT MY SON, YOU GODDAMN- "

High-hair and the Round One pinned the screaming man to the ground. With all their effort, they dragged the man into another room. Everyone else either stared dumbfounded or averted their eyes – Arisu, however, couldn't pull hers away.

At the moment, she felt like something was happening.

**She was beginning to remember. **


	20. Chapter 19: Cram School's Change of Pace

**If Rin Okumura were a more perceptive person, he would've noticed the serious changes in True Cross from the very beginning.**

For one thing, the student population was less then half the size it was last year –and continued to decrease as the days rolled by. Many parents feared for their children's health and removed them from school. Due to the illness, some kids were unfortunately orphaned and brought away by aunts and uncles. Then, there were the few left with no relatives at all and forced to shoulder the responsibility of the family wealth alone.

There was also an issue with the entire world in general. Being locked within the walls of True Cross, Rin couldn't have possibly known what hell lingered outside, how his hometown was reduced to chaos. However, the teen knew danger was at his doorstep, waiting….

That sick teacher taught him that.

Four days have passed since then and Rin was currently in the middle of his second week at school. He now sat in the back of the cram school's classroom, waiting for the teacher to arrive. Other than himself, his table was completely empty. The others sat away in the front. Rin couldn't help but overhear a conversation between his classmates.

"Geez, Bon, you're nuts, y'know that? Completely nuts. I can't believe you already checked out of the infirmary," Shima moaned.

"Well, _what was_ I supposed to do? _Hide under my covers all day?_" Suguro's arms were folded, head turned from his friend.

"You nearly turned into a freaky _zombie thing! _And come on…. Don't be so hard on Koneko…. You saw how he freaked out that one class…"

Suguro's arms tightened, his voice seemed pained.

"_Tch….._No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get him out of bed. He won't…do _anything._"

Rin felt his heart sink. Konekomaru was afraid to leave his bed….?

"Hey, I didn't want to go class either!" Shima protested.

"But you _did_."

"…..Only because you forced me to….. Listen, Bon…. just give him some time…. He'll calm down – "

"He came here to become an exorcist!"

"I know, Bon, but he's scared."

Before Suguro could respond, Kamiki chimed into the discussion.

"He _should_ be afraid."

"Hm? Did you say something?"

"I said he _should _be afraid. That virus turns people into demons and True Cross is not even _close_ to a cure."

Rin's stocky classmate rose from his seat.

"SO YOU'RE SAYING HE SHOULD JUST RUN AWAY?...!"

"I'm saying he shouldn't be here if he can't handle it. An infected victim of 'Noire Du Sang' would turn on his own _mother_ in that state."

"Oh really?..! You're just a coward that talks big! Who was the one that went looking for Mr. Okumura last Saturday?...! That's right – it was me! NOT YOU!"

That was when Kamiki stood up and yelled back.

"I'M the one that talks big?..! You do that all the time! By leaving the infirmary early you endangered us all!– All because you wanted to look big and strong! Well, you're _not! _You could be carrying the virus right now! And besides, I was the one who brought your stupid friends to the quarantines while YOU went out gallivanting!"

"Stuuupid…?" Shima whined sadly before Suguro reciprocated; little tears budding in his eyes, "You think I'm stupid?"

"I was _TESTED _for the virus and it came out negative! So I have just as much of a right to be here as you do – AND SO DOES KONEKOMARU!"

"_STOP IT, PLEASE, EVERYONE – JUST STOP FIGHTING!_"

To the students' surprise, the shout came from Sheimi. Silky tears ran down her face as she stood in front of them. The room was completely silent. Rin stared in awe.

_Sheimi…._

"We're all on the same side….and…. Yuki once said that exorcists have to work together…." She buried her crimson face in her little delicate shaking hands.

No one spoke for a minute. They all just stared at each other with confusion… until…. Suguro stormed out of the room. On impulse, Rin got up and tried to go after him, but Shima grabbed his shoulder and shook his head.

_Just leave him be._ His eyes seemed to say.

Everything was happening so fast that Rin and his classmates couldn't catch up. Sheimi was right…. they needed to stick together…

…but how could they if the virus was tearing everyone apart?

"All of you _take your seats._"

The group turned to see Mr. L'Écarlate…Isaac, standing in the doorway. He looked _seriously _pissed off.

_Maybe it has something to do with Arisu? _Rin thought.

He hadn't seen the girl since last week. The teen was pretty shocked by the man's appearance. If his sister really _was_ missing…. shouldn't he be looking for her instead of teaching a class? Even the workaholic Yukio stopped teaching to research a cure.

The teen, Sheimi, Shima, and Kamiki all sat down. Isaac stormed over the teacher's desk and slammed a bunch of textbooks down violently. His voice was hard and threatening.

"Kamiki, 'and zese out."

The girl quickly got up and gathered the books. While she gave them out, Isaac began to lecture.

"All talking, whispering, snarky remarks, 'n foolish mizbehavior will be treated wiz severe punishments and you can kiss zis class 'n being an exorcist goodbye forever."

Silence.

The man turned his head with disgust towards the door.

"_Well?_ Are you coming in or not?"

Suddenly, Rin saw two shivering hands grip the side of the doorway, and a timid blond head stick out.

"Aidyn!" He shouted happily.

"You're gonna be in my class now? That's _great! _Come sit over here."

The teen ignored everyone's looks of bewilderment as he gestured the child to come over. The moment Aidyn laid eyes on Rin, he seemed to perk up. The boy moved swiftly and carefully to the end of the classroom and sat down. Out of the entire class, Isaac seemed to be the most disturbed by Rin's actions. The man stared at him like he was a monster with three heads. Though it didn't matter to the teen, his friend was here.

Ever since the disaster with Mr. Yonegawa, Rin and Aidyn had been hanging out. It was _much _easier without his sister around…. Wherever the hell she was… Everyday at school, the two boys would sit next to each other in class and at lunch. They even caught a movie last Tuesday (the day before).

The film was about some clown or something…. It freaked the hell out of Aidyn and they had to leave. Rin didn't mind though, he noticed the hated looks from the other people in the theatre, and thought it would be best. At some point, a guy got up and tried to start something, but Rin scared him away. There were always bullies trying beat on Aidyn, but the teen was always ready to defend him. He'd never let anything happen to the kid.

_It must suck to have a sickness where everyone hates you…. _

No wonder Aidyn was scared all the time, no wonder his hands, feet, and shoulders shook, no wonder he clung onto Rin and never let go… The guy needed constant protection... and he didn't get any. All he had were jerks like Issac and careless bitches like Arisu who'd abandon him for days.

Despite Rin's dislike for the girl, he knew she was still Aidyn's sister, and the boy was probably worried about her. He tried to steer clear of saying anything mean about her around Aidyn and he also assured the kid that she was alright and was gonna come back safely.

This wasn't a lie. Rin knew Arisu was fine. He was always there when Aidyn got his frequent phone calls from her, the ones she sent him each day…. Probably asking how he was doing or something. Whenever Aidyn's phone would ring, Rin would have to be very quiet to make sure the girl didn't hear him from the other end.

She'd probably freak out if she knew they were buddies.

But he didn't care.

"Now," Isaac started, ignoring his brother's new, strange friend.

"I am aware zat zis class used to be Démonology, taught by Meester Yonegawa. 'Owever, as of today, ze curriculum 'as changed. You will now take zree new courses concerning 'Noire Du Sang': Zeory, Defense, 'n Pharmacy."

No one dared to speak; Kamiki slapped two books on Rin's table. She kept her eyes away from Aidyn. Looking down, the teen read the cover of the thick, heavy book:

**Demon Pharmaceuticals Level 10. **

_Level TEN?...! That looked hard! _

"In Zeory, you will learn different beliefs doctors 'ave on ze illness's origins. In Defense, you will be taught 'ow to defend yourself against an infected victim wizout getting infected yourself. Finally, in Pharmacy, you will learn ze physical set up of ze illness 'n what to do if a classmate iz contaminated."

Kamiki raised her hand, probably to ask about the insane level of the textbook, but he ignored her.

"Zeory will be taught by Meester Pheles, Defense by Meester Tsubaki, 'n Pharmacy by yours truly."

_EEEHHHH? _Rin thought.

_Mephisto?...A teacher?...! That's gonna be weird! _

"As of right now, Pharmacy class will begin – "

During Isaac's sentence, Suguro slowly walked into the room, hunched over, hands in pockets.

"Sorry, I'm late," He said with a grave voice that sounded more bitter than sorry.

Isaac gave him a condescending look.

"I'd normally not tolerate such childlike 'n disgraceful behavior, Meester Suguro. But, seeing 'ow you are 'ere… why don't you start off ze lesson for us. Describe to ze class… what did Meester Yonegawa look like when 'e was infected?"

The man gave Suguro such a cruel order with such a monotone voice. Did this man have a soul? A heart? Rin could tell by the look on his classmate's face that he was distraught and would much rather not talk about their old teacher. Suguro did not answer…. He was frozen.

"Ah," Isaac said blandly.

"Too afraid? Well I would expect such a zing from a child. Take your seat – "

"_He didn't seem human,"_ Suguro growled.

The man's eyes widened slightly, showing an indication of surprise, which quickly disappeared.

" 'OW did 'e not seem 'uman."

"The way he moved…thought…. acted…. It was _animal-like_… He… he could smell your fear the moment he looked at you."

His classmate was trying so hard to sound tough, unaffected, mature…brave.

"And his _face…._ his damn face…."

Rin saw it too. He saw that teacher and he knew exactly what Suguro was attempting to describe….

He knew it was impossible….

Too painful for words….

"His face was covered in veins."

"Good. Now take your seat, Meester Suguro."

After glaring at his teacher, Rin's classmate eventually did as he was told. Isaac faced the board.

"What 'e just told you are some of ze many symptoms of 'Noire Du Sang'. I am now going to write ze four main symptoms on the board. _Copy zem_."

The man expected everyone to move at the speed of light. He barely gave them time to copy. The moment Rin's pen touched the paper, Isaac was off to something else. It was really frustrating…

"An essential zing you need to know about 'Noire Du Sang' iz zat it travels by water. Which means zat it can only survive in damp areas. One could catch it zrough contact wiz infected blood, salivation, any liquid, etc."

While Isaac lectured on, Rin scribbled as fast as he could.

_Water travel_

_Blood/sal (he didn't finish the word)/ lickid.(he meant 'liquid') _

This guy seriously needed to slow down. He could barely catch anything he'd say.

Kamiki raised her hand for a second time, which Isaac reluctantly answered with a nod. He was the 'do – what – I – say – and – don't –ask – questions' type of guy.

"Mr. L'Écarlate," She stared.

"Is it possible for 'Noire Du Sang' to spread through the air? ... To be airborne?"

"Well, miss, if you would've been patient 'n waited, we would've gotten to zat subject."

_WHOA… That was mean! He really DOES hate everyone! _

The girl's small brows knitted into irritation, she opened her mouth to protest… but quickly closed it.

"Yes, it is possible for ze virus to be airborne. 'Owever, it depends _entirely _on ze 'umidity of ze area. It cannot travel if zere iz no water molecules in ze air. Zat iz why dry air iz constantly being pumped zroughout ze school."

Rin didn't get this teacher, if he was gonna answer her question…. why'd he give her attitude in the first place…? He looked at Aidyn with pity, having _that _as a brother must be a complete hell. Suddenly the teen noticed his friend did not have any school supplies. He tore out a page from his notebook, took an extra pen, and placed it in front of the boy. The way Aidyn looked at Rin after that… one might've thought he saved the guy's life.

Isaac flashed an irritated yet confused expression at Rin. _What's wrong wiz you?_ He seemed to say.

The teen glared straight back. _I don't regret it._

The man returned his attention to the class.

"We've covered ze basics. We shall return to ze dynamics of 'Noire Du Sang' later. Right now, for your own safety, we are going to learn 'ow to deal wiz an infected comrade."

"First rule," He said.

" '**E is as good as dead."**


	21. Chapter 20: lOOk iN fRoNt Of yOu

**A/N: **Thank you AnimeKpopKawaii for your comments!

Lol yeah no matter how much of an experienced exorcist Yukio may be… Rin will always be a big brother and 'tuck him into bed' at night! XD All will be revealed about the Dollmaker eventually! She one of the main bad guys!

The virus is so bad that True Cross is telling it's students to abandon their friends if necessary, which is going to bother them all, especially Rin, who yes! Is a very sweet person! I'm glad I can show that! I'm also glad you think Aidyn's cute, thank you! I like Shima too. He doesn't judge Rin solely on his lineage like the others. And Sheimi…. Me too…

* * *

><p><strong>It was a dead end from the complete start.<strong>

For the past few days, Yukio had spent all his time hunched over a wooden desk, cramped and stiff, scribbling messy notes on scraps of paper and scanning old textbooks borrowed from the library. He found himself being completely dedicated to translating the written pages he had found. Day and night the young man would work diligently – he didn't need to sleep… he couldn't afford it… not right now. Rin didn't seem to realize that time was against Yukio.

Nevertheless… it was all for naught….

The young man researched _everything_, he compared the pages to all types of ancient languages known to man –

_Sanskrit, Cuneiform, Phoenician, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Egyptian – NOTHING. It matched absolutely NOTHTING. _There wasn't even a slight _resemblance_ between these and the strange inscriptions before him. Yukio wasn't able to tell if the language contained _characters _or _letters _either…. The more he stared at it… the more he realized it was _alien_ – barely touched by Assiah. This demon… this 'Goddess'…her virus… was this epidemic one of the few times she ever contacted humanity?

_Even if that's so… _

_She still must've faced people in the past…_

_Alien or not these pages are still here… _

_The 'Goddess' must've faced Dad…_

Yukio didn't even notice the sun hitting the horizon… ending the day, stealing light from the streets of True Cross. The shades were down in his dorm anyway. Artificial lights were good enough for him – unfeeling and technical. The young man fought the exhaustion pulling over his entire body, eyes closing, head touching the table, muscles sore and weak.

Just a few seconds and Yukio would get back to work. Just a few seconds…

The furniture was nice and cool against his brow… it felt…..good…..good….

_The demon stood before him, snapping the air, thirsting for blood and tissue. 'It's aright.' The young man told himself. 'I've been trained for this. I can handle this.' In response to the statement, he heard laughter echoing from every corner of his heart and soul. /hhA! hhA! hhAAAA! rEEAlY?..! yOOu tHiinK yOOu cAAn hAAnDLE iiTT?...! cOOcKy bAAstAArD, lOOk aT wHaaT yOOu'Re dEEaLiNg wIItH!/ _

_But the young man refused to look. Frightened, he knew the voice was right…. /lOOk II sAAiD… LOOooK!/ 'I WONT!' He thought! 'I'll just shoot it without looking.' Then the young man turned his head and held up the pistol. Hands shaking – he – can't –hold – them – straight. /gOO oNN hAAhAA! gOO oNN aNNd sHHoOt!/ He's frozen – He's frozen – 'Just think clearly… calculate the situation properly…' /cAAlCuuLaTe mYY aSS!/ _

'_Tranquilizing bullets can –' /gOO oNN aNNd LoOOk aTT yOOuR eNNeMy!/_

'_I could use holy water bombs and –' /pUUL tHHe FU*cKiNg tRiiGgEr!/_

'_A – according t – to Anti-Demon P –Pharmaceuticals – ' /iTT aLL mEEaNs sHiiT./_

'_I can handle this – I'm an exorcist! Like Dad!'_

_/yOOu'Re aLLsO a BrOOtHeeR./_

_Looking up, he saw that the demon was Rin, who charged forward and sliced the young man to bloody pieces._

Yukio Okumura snapped awake, a panic seized him – paranoia… a cold sweat…. he couldn't breathe. It took about ten minutes for his mind to process that he had been dreaming. His brother was off somewhere with his new friend, not on a rampage. Yukio hated himself, and all the weakness and insecurities that constantly plagued his thoughts. Why was he so weak?

Despite all the training he's been though…. He still had nightmares….

…like a child afraid of the dark.

There was only one way to combat all of this – keep pushing forward. No matter how hard it got, no matter how tired he'd get, Yukio would overcome all juvenile fears. He wasn't the little boy shivering behind his older brother anymore. It was his turn to be the protector. Rin will never become a monster…he won't allow it.

_I'll never let it get that far… _

Speeches, although comforting, did nothing to help him translate the scripture, which was still mind-boggling. At this rate, it couldn't be done… none of these textbooks were helping…

"_STILL AT IT, huuh WIMPY_?"

Any productive feeling inside Yukio prickled to rage and irritation. He turned and faced the source of the drunken voice.

Shura.

"How many times do I have to tell you to STOP interrupting my work!"

"AHAHAHA – _OOOO someone's mad!_"

"Get out!"

"I'M gonna come inside, OKAY?"

"I said – OUT!"

Completely ignoring his sentence, Shura stumbled into his dormitory. Barely even able to stand, she practically fell into the wall and began leaning on it with her left arm.

"_WHY,_" Yukio started.

"_Why did you come here?"_

"Haha! _Orders from Mephiiiiistooo!_" She spoke in a sing-song voice.

"I'm busy."

She slurped on her beer can, "Nah – nah – nah! You're NOT even GONNA LISTEN to what he had to SAY?"

"NO. Now get out."

"Well, I was PISSED OFF too, Y'KNOW! Hearin' SOME order come outta NO WHERE. But I got HOGTIED into it – So I'M gonna hogtie YOU into IT too!"

"I SAID NO. SO GET OUT."

"HEY – Its NOT like YOU have much-of-va CHOICE! That ISAAC guy's FLIPPING OUT! Apparently his YOUNGER sister went missn' or somethin' LIKE that."

_His younger sister? One of the L__'Écarlates is missing? _

Yukio felt his stomach clench with anger.

"That's _his _problem."

"WHOO... _someone's BEIN' mean._"

"It's his _fault _for not watching the girl properly – if she's truly missing outside then the chances are that she's probably dead. Why should we risk the lives of Exorcists just to search for the dead body of some spoiled brat who ran away from home!"

"WHOAH – HOO!"

"_GET _someone else to do it."

Yukio tried his best to hide his feelings of guilt. If his brother was missing….he'd panic… and what if the person sent in his place died?

Shura finished her beer and threw the can to the other side of the room.

"Like I SAID – you DON'T have much-of-va CHOICE! You know the rules, in order for AN exorcist to GO outside, HE OR SHE must be AT LEAST in a group of TWO and of SENIOR ranking."

"Since _when _did you follow rules Shura, and besides, I'm _not_ of Senior ranking."

"That DIDN'T stop ya FROM goin' BEFORE! And besides, YOU KNOW that you were given the EXCEPTION bein' A genius and ALL. Mephisto SPEFICALLY told me to tell YOU to get YOUR ass out THERE. AND yeah! – the GIRL could be dead and ALL but WE gotta KEEP kissin' ISAAC's ass if we WANT him to HELP us."

The doctor rose from his chair angrily and stormed over the woman.

"You don't seem to realize what's at _stake _here, Shura – I'm looking for a vaccination! You don't seem to realize this! NO – YOU'RE JUST A DRUNK! You don't seem to realize the cure's more important then _whatever _YOU or Mephisto or Isaac, or who ever gave the order – WANTS ME TO DO – "

In two seconds, Yukio's face collided with the floor; Shura had knocked him over with her foot. She was completely unaffected, not angry. On the contrary, she seemed slightly more perceptive than she was a few moments ago.

"YA see? YOU really ARE a mess, aren't YA?"

"W – what…?" the young man said in slight pain, easing up from the floor and onto his knees.

"I mean you're a WREAK. There's NO WAY in HELL Yukio would've let me TRIP him, IF he was in the RIGHT state of MIND."

"So says the woman who's intoxicated – "

"Well _YEAH_ – But I tripped YOU!"

Yukio had no response for this, no comeback. He could only stare at the wooden floor… To the young man's surprise, the drunken Shura knelt down beside him….and placed her fingers…by her…..breasts –

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?...!" He cried stumbling back.

"TAKE it EASY, wimpy!" Shura barked angrily.

The woman slipped out a folded piece of paper from between her…well…you know… and tossed it at his feet.

"THERE YA GO! – no NEED no THANK me or anythin'!"

Taking the parchment and unfolding it Yukio saw a name and an address:

**Arata Hajime**

**259 Shell Street**

**Brickwood, North Carolina. **

"Arata Hajime?"

"YEAH somethin' like THAT, he MOVED to six different countries in five YEARS. The guy now lives in some small town in the United States."

"Why are you showing me this?"

"IM GETTING' TO THAT WIMPY – apparently… Out of all Shiro's cram school classmates…. HE'S the ONLY one that's still alive."

Yukio looked up at Shura, bewildered. She was actually helping him…? She was actually being _helpful? _

"No, I mean _why _would you do this in the first place?"

"HMPH! Well YOU of ALL people KNOW how much I HATE to work! But…."

She scratched her head. "But you're JUST hopeless WIMPY!"

With that, Shura stormed out of the room leaving a confused Yukio sitting there. After five minutes of staring at the address, the young man got up and stuffed the note into the draw of his desk.

_I better get ready for that mission, I suppose._

* * *

><p>"Oh good, ya came, I was supposed to go get-cha but I didn't remember if I did or not," a now sober Shura stated as Yukio walked though the doors and into the library.<p>

(The protective suits were stored there. Which, by the way, used to be in the cafeteria until the Mr. Yonegawa incident.) It was fairly dark; only one light attached to the ceiling was on.

Isaac stood behind her quietly, already in the jumpsuit. The man seemed to ignore Yukio's existence, brooding. He was probably bitter about his sister's disappearance and, that he was forced to rely on a _'child'_ (in other words, Yukio)to help get her back.

"I'm here, when are we departing?"

"Uumm, about ten minutes… 9:00, Wimpy."

The young man nodded and walked past her. He entered the storage closet and grabbed a suit, which was rubbery and slick to the touch. It felt as though it would slip out of Yukio's grip any second –

Like his grip on the situation –

Or his brother's life –

Had they already?

After sliding on the outfit, Yukio loaded his guns and attached them to his belt. At that moment, it occurred to him that Arisu L'Écarlate may or may not. The probability of death was high. Yukio was furious when Shura talked to him, and he did state that he didn't want to help.

It wasn't that he didn't care about another's life, it's just that… as a doctor and an exorcist he needed to put the wellbeing of all over one person. A cure was absolute – _essential_. The thought was aching, but that was a sacrifice that needed to be made.

The young man told himself this in order to ease his guilt –

– when in reality all he truly cared about was his brother's safety.

The information Shura gave may be incredibly useful, and the young man was still shocked by her actions. The trouble was that Arata Hajime lived on the other side of the earth – how was Yukio possibly going to interrogate him?

_An international call, perhaps? No, too risky; someone might tap the line and listen in… _

Despite these complications…a lead was still a lead, and the young man, doctor, and exorcist would find a way to make it possible.

"Ya ready, Wimpy?" Shura asked, suited as well.

"Yes."

"Kay, then lets get movin' already!"

"Shura?"

"Heh?"

"**Thank you." **


	22. Chapter 21: A Road To Insanity

**A/N: **Thank you FD and AnimeKpopkawaii for commenting!

FD: Thank you that means a lot! Really!

AnimeKpopkawaii: Lol Ah yes, good 'ol Shura, she gets drunk a lot, makes Yukio's life a living hell, and wears outrageous clothing, but is probably the most powerful female in Blue Exorcist. Thanks! I'm glad I can make the fic mimic the feeling of the anime! Isaac is weird... on one hand, he seemed bothered by Arisu's disappearance, but on the other he proceeded to teach an entire class while she was missing...

This chapter's a short one.

* * *

><p><strong>What happened?<strong>

**Where was she?**

**Everything was so…. Dark. **

It took a while for Arisu to comprehend that she had been in the home of Rin Okumura for days. Let's start from the beginning: Aidyn was defenseless – Rin was monster – Aidyn was in danger – she left to find Rin's weakness and –

And a man burst through the doors screaming about his missing son.

There, a child cried into her mother and others remained hushed, too shocked for words. The priests of the monastery tackled and dragged the man away. What happened to him?

'_T – they t – took my s – son….'_

'_THEY SAID THEY COULD USE HIM! THEY SAID IF HE WAS LUCKY HE WOULDN'T DROWN LIKE THE REST US!'_

That was when Arisu began to remember…

Was she taken as well? Like that boy? Her memory was such a haze, her entire life a blur, seemingly fake – she didn't know.

_**/tHy sHaLL rEtUrN tO tHy wAtErS/**_

_**/oR tHy sHaLL dRoWn LiKe tHe rEsT/**_

'**Like the body in the water?' **

"N – NO.." Arisu blurted aloud.

_No… I need to get a grip… I was not kidnapped… I was not taken by anyone! Ze only reason I'm thinking zis iz because….because… of ze medicine! _

It struck the girl that she had forgotten to bring her medication… the one that helped with her memory and hallucinations. Once when she was ten, Arisu had thrown the pills down the drain in stubborn defiance.

However, after that, she was welcomed with visions of floods, bloody needles in fleshy dolls, and… of course… the corpse. Arisu locked herself in her room, crying for days. She screamed for it all to stop. Later, Isaac warned the girl that if she did not take the capsules in under twenty-four hours, the delusions would return.

How long had she been at the monastery? Arisu couldn't remember, but it was certainly over twenty-four hours. That's why she was going crazy; it had nothing to do with post-traumatic stress. The room was spinning – sweaty and hot – where was she – oh right – the monastery. Stay calm – stay calm. All she needed to do was get away, right? Get outta there.

**It was that easy.**


	23. Chapter 22: New Bonds and Broken Ones

'_**First rule. 'E iz as good as dead.'**_

It was those words that stuck to Rin even after Pharmacy Class and haunted him like a plague. The rest of the lesson wasn't too great either. It was practically that line extended into further detail.

'_If a classmate iz acting strange, do NOT touch 'im at any costs.' _

'_Try to find physical symptoms, such as black plasma, watery eyes, etc.' _

'_Even if you are not completely sure if 'e iz sick, it iz best to avoid 'im anyway.'_

'_Inform a teacher and instruct ozers to leave ze area at once.'_

'_Keep in mind zat your friend iz gone 'n CANNOT be saved.' _

In other words… just completely abandon the guy.

It was hopeless – pointless, just leave him there to die, save yourself – your classmate is not important anymore. Isaac said it so bluntly, with such a straight face… What was going on in that cold mind of his? Rin didn't know what he would do if one of his friends became infected…were in pain… loosing their sanity. It nearly happened to Suguro, and no one was in the clear just yet – they could all get sick at any time…

_DAMN! _

Yes, Rin didn't know what he would do… he could barely fathom the situation… but whatever his actions…

…it wouldn't be running away.

EVER.

The teen would find some kind of way, _anything_ to make the problem better…

He replayed these thoughts over and over in his head while sitting with Aidyn in an empty classroom. There was a large white screen on the wall, decorated with elaborate purple-gold statues of masks, one frowning, and one laughing. The screen was meant for a film to be projected on. This area was actually where the two went to see the clown movie.

Due to the illness, going outside was forbidden. (However, the teen had no idea that towns were abandoned along with theaters.) To avoid complete boredom, the head master set up this 'theatre-film-movie-time' room that students could go to on the weekend.

The place was covered with a bunch of creepy pink ribbons. They draped across the ceiling and tied into puffy bows at the walls. There were also bright confetti all over the floor, and disturbing posters of operas that Rin had never heard of before. Examples of these were: 'The Pig Who Flew', 'Backwards Pumpkin', and 'The Sad, Yet Angry Clown' (Rin and Aidyn saw that one).

It was safe to say that hardly anyone came.

Mephisto picked out all the movies played there. He said he wanted the students to 'to taste the true art of theatre blah-blah-blah'….

No one besides Rin and Aidyn sat in there at the moment. This was because it was a Wednesday and normal kids had homework. Not saying that the two boys didn't have homework, they had a TON (assigned by the infamous Isaac L'Écarlate).

The reason they came to the video room was to quietly do work in a place where Aidyn could be safe and away from other people. Part of Rin realized that the little guy and his sister were probably antisocial for this very reason – to keep him safe. Even so, the teen couldn't sympathize with Arisu. The girl talked big and acted like she was so protective, but where was she now?

Not shielding Aidyn – that was for sure.

To think she had the gall to hate Rin when he was doing her job _for_ her – the _right _way.

The two boys hunched over the thin print of an enormous textbook. They were meant to read five ten-paged chapters and answer the following thirty questions – it was _insane! _When he left Cram School at 3:00, Rin overheard Kamiki complain about the level of the work.

Apparently, it was meant for doctors on the intermediate first class ranking…._Yukio's level! _This work wasn't meant for students at all – it was an encyclopedia! Mr. Isaac – that jerk – had to come up with the questions himself! And his writing was as confusing as the damn book!

Rin tried reading the text (Aidyn couldn't because it was in Japanese characters) but it was too complicated… half the words he couldn't pronounce. In the end, they decided to just read the questions and skim the book for answers. That was fair – right? The teacher was completely unreasonable. After all, Rin had work from _regular _high school!

"UUUUHHH lets see… question three…S-state an ap-proprate (he meant appropriate) hy-pesis (hypothesis) for how a demon could i-inflict an illness over a wide-spread scale such as a c-county (country) p-population….give examples."

"…."

"…What the hell? I don't even know what that means! How's the textbook gonna help with that?...!"

Aidyn didn't seem to here him; the boy's eyes were on the book… yet they seemed so far away. Rin knew exactly what he was thinking about; the teen pushed the work aside. Aidyn seemed startled by this, especially when he noticed Rin hovered over him. The child shifted away, embarrassed.

"Hey…"

"A-ah?..."

"You're worried about your sister."

"…'mmm?"

"_Sister – _Arisu. You're worried."

"A-Arisu?...! Qui…qui… w-worried…. Veiry worried…"

"….Sorry, buddy…. I can't find my friend either…."

After all of Rin's searching, Kuro was still gone…. The thought was completely nerve wracking. Sometimes he'd lay awake, thinking about where his friend could be…. if he was in danger or not.

"….?"

"My friend lost too. My friend…. lost…. also."

"F-friend l-lost…? S-sorry…."

The two could completely relate to each other, one of the many reasons that they were friends.

"A-ah, Rin?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"A-Arisu…n-not b-bad….not bad….d-doesn't mean bad…"

There was a heavy weight in the teen's chest. Despite her behavior… the girl was still Aidyn's sister…. and he was trying to apologize for her.

"You… really love your sister don't you…. Love Arisu?"

"Love?! A-ah! Arisu… Qui… l-love Arisu."

The teen smiled. "That's good."

Aidyn looked away, trembling. It seemed like something made him uncomfortable.

"H-hey, buddy…? You okay?"

"I….I…."

Before the child could stutter out a response, the two heard a loud _crash, _and then a _second,_ and then a _third_ – one booming sound after another. Aidyn squealed and hunched his arms over head. Rin shot up from the seat, listening to where the noise could've been coming from – outside perhaps? The teen crept over to the window, only to see a sight truly shocking and mortifying…

_It couldn't be - ! _

Rin bolted from the classroom.

"Wait here, Aidyn!"

"Rin – RIN!"

The teen didn't think to check if the boy was following him, he had to catch up – catch up with what he saw.

He needed to see if it was true.

The sound was getting louder the closer Rin got to the campus. That _BANG, BANG, BANG – _it echoed in the teen's ears, hypnotized him, kept his legs from stopping. He was getting closer now, Rin was outside – _BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG – _it was getting dark now, the sun was setting, it was twilight. _BANG. _The sky melted in a haze of pink orange, purple and blue. There – the gate! – _BANG, BANG – _

He ran towards it – _BANG, BANG…_

Rin was right.

The large, growling creature crashing its oversized black head repeatedly was his familiar.

Kuro.

"HEY – HEY - HEY! KURO! WHAT'S – "

But the teen's friend didn't listen, he continued to _crash, _then back up, and _crash _again. The cat-demon was trying to break though Mephisto's magic barrier built around the school. But why? And how did he get on the outside in the first place? Rin tried to reason with Kuro.

"HEEEY! Listen! Stop doing that! I'll get you in, just – "

_**/FoLLoW!/ **_

_What? What's he saying?_

_**/ThE GoDdEsS CaLLs!/**_

_No…_

"WHAT?...! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALING ABOUT KURO?...!"

_**/ThY sHaLL bE cLaImEd bY tHe GoDdEsS– ThY sHaLL bE cLaImEd bY tHe GoDdEsS!/**_

The things he said… it was the same as that teacher, Mr. Yonegawa… before he went crazy… before he caught the sickness…

Rin could see it. He could see that his demon companion was clearly not in the right state of mind. His eyes were viciously stricken and bloodshot, saliva running down Kuro's bearing teeth.

Someone, or some _thing, _had hypnotized him.

_**/FoLLoW!/**_

"SHHUUT UUUP! Get your head straight, Kuro – THIS ISN'T YOU!"

His friend backed up, hunched and growled. He was low to the floor, ready to pounce at any moment.

"This isn't you! Don't you remember?...! When I told you Shiro died?...! I said we could be friends!"

Rin looked closely at the demon; there was a pool of blood at his feet. His neck was bleeding.

"Let me be your friend NOW! C'MON! Don't let them control you!"

Kuro hunched further, he seemed to be in pain, physically and mentally. He trembled as he spoke his next words.

_**/iF yOu dO nOt FoLLoW…. i sHaLL tAkE yOu By fOoOorCe!/**_

The demon trampled into the force field one more time, shattering it to pieces. Rin stumbled back, but he couldn't grab his sword, he just couldn't raise a weapon on his friend.

"KURROO! NO!"

_**/FoLLoW – FoLLoW – FoLLoW – FOoOoOLLOoOWW!/**_

As his friend stomped after Rin, the world seemed to stop. He and Kuro, everything they'd been through together– mourning the old man's loss, going on class trips together, playing games, keeping the teen company when he was alone and couldn't sleep at night – it was all about to die…

Rin stood there hopelessly, his head bowed, preparing for the worst.

Suddenly, he felt a shove and the teen fell against the floor. He wasn't trampled? Who pushed him out of the way? Rin looked up to see Aidyn on the floor as well, he was knocked to the floor by Kuro. He lay there, unconscious.

"AIDYN! AIDYN!"

Rin faced the demon and grabbed the handle of his sword. However, once he did so he froze, staring at his friend. The teen's head was spinning – Aidyn saved him. He was hurt – Kuro did this… but it wasn't his fault… it wasn't his fault. Kuro would _never_ do something like that…

No, it wasn't his fault.

_Whoever did this to Kuro – IT WAS THEIR FAULT!_

The teen ripped the sword from its sheath.

"IT'S THEIR FAULT!"

Blue flames spewed from every corner of his body. Rin's pointed ears became long and teeth sharper. His slit eyes burned back at his familiar with fierce determination.

"Come to your senses already, Kuro! I don't wanna use my flames!"

_**/rrrrRRRaaaHHH!/**_

The two charged at each other. Rin's familiar swiped at him with his doubled tail. The teen managed to jump over it and roll onto his side. Kuro continued to bleed from the neck – he was dying, it was only a matter of time. Rin needed to _think_ of something! If only he _could_ think – if only he was as smart as his brother!

These distracting thoughts allowed Kuro to whack Rin to the ground, knocking out all the air in his chest. As the teen gasped and fell, the Koma sword slid far from his limp hand. The cat-demon now stood over him, a large paw on his chest, keeping him down.

"_Gasp – _Kuro – _gasp – _n-no…"

_**/sUrReNdEr? tHy sHaLL FoLLoW nOw….tO tHee GoDdEsS/**_

When Rin looked up, he didn't see his friend… Where was he? The Goddess… what did that bastard do to him? Where did Kuro go? Aidyn was still unconscious on the floor and Rin felt his sanity slipping. The teen glared up at the familiar with a snarl; he felt his injuries heal. They hissed away quietly as he began to growl back at the demon. He was stronger, he could easily lift his paw and defeat his friend but –

_No – No! I can't freak out! I can't lose control! Not on Kuro – my friend!_

All he could do to contain himself was to stay down.

_**/iT iS tImE, yOuNg pRiNcE. mOtHeR iS CaLLiNg/**_

"M-m-my m-mother…?"

"_Eins… Zwei… Drei…!"_

A cloud of pink smoke appeared and made Kuro's eyes water with pain. The familiar snarled and released Rin as he stumbled backwards, behind the gate.

"And now ~ _ABRACADABRA!_"

When the cat-demon tried entering the campus for a second time, he was once again struck by a force field. The voice chanting the spells cooed peacefully.

"Now, now. Don't bother! I made the field _much _stronger than it was before."

As though he mildly understood what was said, Kuro backed away into the darkness.

_**/mOtHeR CaLLs…/**_

The man, or rather, Mephisto turned over to Rin.

"Well _that _was quite a show Mr. Okumur– "

"KUUURRROOOO!"

To the man's surprise, Rin jumped to his feet and ran towards the gate. Even though it sent a flash of electric pain through his body, the teen banged on the gate and called for his familiar.

"KURO! Wait buddy – COME BACK! I have to save you – where are you going?...!"

Mephisto sighed to himself in a Well-I'll-be-damned fashion and thought to himself,

_I suppose I'll have to apprehend him._

The man raised his umbrella to the back of a hysteric Rin. However, before he could chant his spell, a timid boy, Aidyn, grabbed his arm.

"No – NOOO!"

He began to cry.

"R-Rin 'urt…'urt…p-pain…."

Mephisto smiled and raised an eyebrow, for he knew exactly what that child was and – OH HOW, ironic this situation was!

**Rin eventually stopped hitting the gate as the world closed in on him. **


	24. Chapter 23: Dirtied Angel & Fallen Hero

**A/N: **Thank you Hartanna, FD, AnimeKpopKawaii, AoWoSora, DebbiKun3, and MyStrawberrry Death for your comments!

Hartanna: Hi! Glad to have you back! Lol sorry about all the cliffhangers, I always have to make everything so dramatic..^^;

FD: Indeed… devilish he is…

AnimeKpopKawaii: Lol I can tell that Rin's your favorite character! It's refreshing to have someone who is secure in his morals, especially when everyone else is struggling with them. Though I do like characters that are crazy… XD

AoWoSora: You don't know how happy you've just made me with your comments! You can see it as a movie?..! Your so nice, THANKYOU! I'm really glad you saw the parts that I was trying to make funny and the ones of I was trying to make dark. And I appreciate you saying that my prologue was poetic! I really wanted it to be! Lol I'm not as good of a writer as my sister so sometimes I feel like I try to hard to make something sound good...

DebbieKun3: Thanks, I hope you like it!

MyStrawberryDeath: Lol yeah the prologue is kinda weird. XD Will Rin ever over come his grocery store failure? Probably not.. But he's lovable all the same! Ah Aidyn… the boy's got some secrets… I'm glad you're curious about him!

**Anyway,** this chapter took while to write... It's pretty long (the longest so far, I think…)

There is a point in the chapter where Father Fujimoto's place of death is mentioned. I noticed that in the anime he died in the church area, while in the manga it was Rin's bedroom. In the story I make it the bedroom. My fic is sorta a mix between the anime and the manga..so there's some elements from both. I know this is kinda random… I just didn't want to confuse people.

* * *

><p><strong>Once when he was young, Yukio stumbled into an abandoned building during a game of hide-and-seek with his elder brother.<strong>

Inevitably, he became lost.

Which was both ironic and pathetic seeing how it was _Rin's _turn to hide. The structure was an apartment, and little naïve Yukio wandered endlessly about the long, gray hallways that seemed to last forever. They were dark – and he cried – of course, as expected from such a feeble creature.

However, the corridors were the least of the child's problems.

What truly bothered him…were the shadows that followed…

The boy could hear them, creeping up from behind – watching…laughing…. Oh, how he was cursed. Oh, how the child wished he couldn't see such scary things. Where was brother? Where was Father Fujimoto? He was alone in this old place with crumbling walls and shattered glass.

Nine years later and Yukio Okumura trained himself to befriend the dark and push out all fears.

After all, such negative emotions were not conducive to his mission, seeking out Arisu L'Écarlate, who, by the way, was most likely infected or dead. Even so, Yukio didn't understand why such memories came back to him, skewing his concentration. They were trite, meaningless – the past had nothing to do with the current situation.

Plus, that insecure boy died the day Yukio was licensed as an exorcist.

But was that the truth?

The young man and his group had been searching the empty streets of True Cross Academy Town for hours on end – still…nothing. The only source of life he felt was the pounding organ in his chest. Why was he so nervous? He had the situation completely under control.

But that was a lie, and Yukio knew it.

The hour of day didn't help him concentrate either, it was pitch black outside and all the streetlights were dead. The exorcists had no choice but to use flashlights. It was all so frustrating, the dark – everything around Yukio felt like a dream. He didn't feel lucid – the world was spinning and his vision occasionally blurred. _NO _– that wasn't right – all he needed to do was keep moving. The young man wasn't tired, he _wasn't…_

"Hey, Yukio!" Shura called, "Where do ya think you're goin'?"

He couldn't make out what the woman was saying…. But he wished she would SHUT-UP.

"_I'm fine,_" the young man stated sharply.

"Oh really? Then why are you going the wrong way? We agreed to head _south, _remember?"

Once again, young man couldn't make out what she said.

"I said I'm fine. I…," Yukio had no idea what he was saying.

"Um, uh, nnno you're not. _This _way, Wimpy."

Shura grabbed the young man's arm in order to lead him in the proper direction. However, when she did this, he snapped.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

There was a long silence after that, one that could not be explained. This was because Yukio had no clue why he just acted in such an uncouth manner. In a state of desperation, he stared dumbly at Shura and tried to focus:

_Let me think…._

_Name: Shura Kirigakure_

_Ranking: Senior Exorcist First Class_

_Meister: Tamer, Doctor, Aria, Knight_

_Yes, _that was sensible – it was logical. Pure. Solid. Fact. He couldn't go wrong with this…he couldn't.

"Yukio…"

Even with heavy exhaustion, the young man noticed the concerned expression on Shura's face – there was a dread in her eyes…a fear… as though she could see something inside of Yukio that he, himself, could not…

But what….?

…What…?

The moment seemed to have a sobering effect on the doctor. His faced hardened from confusion to rationality, eyes going from wide to slant. Yes…. it's true… there were plenty of things out there that Yukio could not reach… inside his soul or out in the cruel world. But Rin… his brother's life…

...wouldn't _ever _be one of those things.

Isaac began to storm away, catching the young man's attention.

"_Send 'im 'ome! _I do _not _'ave time for zis!"

The doctor stiffened, straightening his posture.

He was capable.

He was prepared for this virus and the worst.

The young man wanted every one else to know that as well.

"_Isaac_, _I am an exorcist too._"

The man stopped, but refused turn around.

"_Tch… _you're a _child._"

"_No._"

"….?"

"No, I'm _not_ a child… not since the day I put on this uniform."

"Heh?" Shura placed hands on her hips, and twisted her head from Yukio to Isaac, confused, "What are ya talking about…? Where the hell did this come from?"

The man turned around and stormed up to Yukio. He grabbed the doctor firmly by the collar of his suit.

"_Reelly now,_" he hissed, "_Why_ do I find zat hard to believe?"

It was almost unnerving – Yukio's cold, emotionless face. Was it though? After all, he trained himself to smile gently and mask unnecessary feelings –any which showed weakness. The young man needed to tell himself time and time again to be strong. So it had been that way for eight _years… _yet it felt like his entire life… Yukio kept it all in… jealousy, rage, anguish… because the young man knew the truth –

He knew a cliché hero who wears a heart on his sleeve always failed…Only logic, evidence, fact could save a life.

That's why Rin was going to die if the Yukio didn't do anything.

"You're pretty young yourself, Mr. L'Écarlate. Surely you trained though adolescence?"

"_Zat_ was _training_. Preparation."

"Then tell me Isaac, does it _bother _you that I'm here, meant to be a comrade, equal footing as you?"

"What?"

"What do you have against a so-called 'child' being an exorcist? You don't strike me as the type to be envious or threatened by another's intelligence. So why?"

Isaac gripped tighter onto Yukio's collar, his arm shaking with rage.

"HEY!" Shura yelled.

But the man ignored her…Instead he spat venomously at Yukio.

"Children… can be such _fools,_ running into trouble wizout even batting an eye – I can't stand it! Who reminisces about the purity of a young one's imagination – ANOZER FOOL! Imagination – _BAH_ – _ignorance_! Take zat _girl _for example, Arisu… when she was little…. she and… and zat _zing _'ad zis bright idea to go out looking for démons, and why? 'Because zey are _different' _iz what she 'ad said! 'Because zay attack only sometimes and not all ze time, like people!' Needless to say she came home every night with gashes and bruises all over, muttering stupid sentences from ze corners of 'er mouth! _Now look Meister Okumura, she iz gone due to zat foolishness._"

"….."

"Fools _die_…meester Okumura. Immaturity iz ze greatest poison of all – even greater zen 'Noire Du Sang' itself."

How strange…wasn't that how Yukio felt to an extent?

"I know."

Isaac did not expect this response. Even so, his hand remained clenched on the doctor.

"I am aware of the existence of fools and their candy-coded morals."

_Of Rin and his ideals…_

"But Mr. L'Écarlate… do _not _mistake me as one of them. The world is filled with risks and sacrifice, and despite my age, I know that all too well. It's how I've gotten this far as an exorcist."

The man said nothing – what _could_ be said after that? Too much was said already. It was clear the two had no desire to confide in each other… It was merely anger, pride, and perhaps worry that exposed these revelations. The young man's collar was released and Isaac slowly walked away. Shura yelled after him –

"Hey – hey – hey – where are you going?...! We're supposed to be in a group!"

"It iz best if we separate."

"NO friggin' WAY! Are you _stupid – _"

Yukio cut her off.

"I'm an exorcist too," he repeated, "_Accept _it."

The man stopped for a second, then continued to walk on until his silhouette faded in the distance. The young man knew grabbing him was no use; Isaac would never change his mind.

"_Pst! _That dumbass," Shura complained, "Don't blame me if you wind up _dead_."

* * *

><p><strong>With the group narrowed by one, they pushed on with the search.<strong> They spent three more hours walking – everything was silent, as expected from an uninhabited town in ruin. However, the lack of sound was troublesome to Yukio; he needed to keep his guard up at all times. One of the infected could ambush them at anytime.

Despite his concentration, the young man still had time to think about that dream of his…. The one where Rin killed him… It was stress, that was all…nothing more. Yukio decided to not press into it further. Even so, he couldn't suppress those disturbed images… and that _voice – Satan's voice, _borrowed from Father Fujimoto, out of his head. Deep down inside, Yukio was grateful that Shura convinced him to leave his desk and go on this mission.

At that moment, the young man stopped moving, remembering the words she had said –

'_You know the rules, in order for AN exorcist to GO outside, HE OR SHE must be AT LEAST in a group of TWO and of SENIOR ranking.'_

"What gives, Wimpy?"

_But why?_

In a group of _two_? But if that was the case, why did Yukio have to come in the first place? Both Shura and Isaac were of Senior ranking and together, they made a group of two…

'_Mephisto SPECIFICALLY told me to tell YOU to get YOUR ass out THERE.'_

So _that _was it, Mr. Pheles was trying to give the young man a clue about Father Fujimoto… But what could it possibly be? Yukio was outside like the headmaster wanted – now what? True Cross Academy Town was a fairly large place. How could he possibly find something if he didn't even know what that something could be?

_Think…think…_

Shura grabbed Yukio from the back of the collar and began to drag him forward.

"W-wha – Shura?...! Shura, what are you - ?"

"I'm SICK of bein' ignored! Go stare off into space on your own time – FOUR-EYES!"

"Aaargg, Shura!" Yukio turned, "Why did Mephisto want me on this mission?"

The woman stopped.

"Heh? How should I know? He just told me to bring you along at all costs."

"_Let go of me,_" he ripped away, "And you have no idea why?"

"Uuuuhhh nope."

"Useless…," the young man mumbled under his breath.

"I HEARD THAT!" She flung Yukio forward. He barely kept his balance.

"LETS not forget, Wimpy – you're the weak-link right now! Do you really think you can win a battle at this moment? You don't even know what friggin' _direction _we're goin' in! _I'm _the one who's gonna have to cover your ass when danger comes!"

Bitter rage and embarrassment filled the young man's core. She was right – _DAMMIT, _she was right! Even before the Paladin's threat, Yukio was losing. He recalled, at the beginning of the year, Isaac having to save him from an infected in the sewers. If it wasn't for Rin's interference, he wouldn't have found those scriptures… Discovering Arata Hajime… was all Shura's doing…

All this time…. Yukio was riding on the accomplishments of others!

Well no more.

"Then don't bother trying to protect me. I know how much you hate to work."

The young man turned and began striding forward.

"Uh-huh," the woman responded nonchalantly.

_I could kill her!... No, you're not a wreck. Calm down… Calm down…_

_W-wait…. What's that?_

In the distance, Yukio saw a glow of yellow light…or was that his imagination?

"Whoa – wait a minute…," Shura noticed it too. Good, the light was real.

But where did it come from? The two followed the luminosity until they reached its source…the young man's home, the monastery. It couldn't be that this was the clue he was thinking about earlier…

"H-how could that be?" Yukio thought aloud, "I told the priests to evacuate."

His colleague moved ahead, "Guess there's only one way to find out – c'mon Scared-y!"

As they moved along, the young man noticed detailed scriptures written on the gates. They encircled the church in curls of dusty white chalk. He hypothesized that the writings were meant to keep out intruders, in other words, the infected. It was sensible; this area may have been the last place untouched by the illness.

Yukio, however, couldn't help but be on edge. Something… just didn't feel right. He was positive not every civilian in the town made it out safely. Meaning, infected victims must've been lurking around. So, the young man was shocked that he and Shura hadn't run into any yet.

_They're lurking in the background…_

_Waiting until you are most vulnerable…_

_They are the shadows – _

NO – not that again – it was _pointless_, that memory was useless to Yukio, a residue of his former self.

_Go on… Go on and cry for your brother and Dad._

* * *

><p><strong>The inside of the Monastery was almost exactly how the young man remembered it.<strong>

The only difference was the clusters of mattresses and crowds of people. Once again, his head was spinning. The atmosphere completely shifted from silent to loud and energetic.

"Y-YUKIO?...!"

Shura elbowed the young man and he jumped. Looking up, he saw one of the priests standing right in from of him.

"Y-Yukio?...! How did you get here – are you alright?"

Taking a deep breath, he found the correct words to say.

"Yes, Nagatomo, I'm alright. But why are you and the others still here? I sent you a notice to evacuate."

After a moment of silence, the clergyman finally spoke.

"…We didn't feel right leaving everyone behind."

"But this is dangerous."

The man from Yukio's childhood gave a warm, yet sad smile.

"I know…_we _know…but it seemed like the thing Father Fujimoto would've done."

Once again, a surge of exhausted rage swept over the young man.

"Father Fujimoto is _dead._"

The words escaped from his lips so fast that there was no time to think. After realizing what he had said, Yukio looked into the glassy eyes of the priest. This was the second – no – _third_ time that night he lost control of himself… First refusing to go on the mission, then yelling at being touched, now this…

"Nagamoto…I didn't mean…"

The clergyman blinked a few tears back then stared at the young man with a bemused expression.

"Yukio… You don't look well…"

"W-what? No, I – "

"You look gaunt… and those shadows under your eyes… Why don't you lie down for a while? I'm sure your teammate will handle everything."

Shura looked up at the doctor.

"That sounds about right, I think you need a nap for once instead of being some creepy robot."

'_I'm the one who's gonna have to cover your ass!'_

"_No_, really, I'm fine… maybe… a bit over worked, but it's nothing I can't handle."

The woman snorted sarcastically, "Mmmhmm _a bit_, yeah sure…"

_WILL YOU STOP BEING SO– _

"Yes, a bit."

Yukio looked closely at Nagatome; there were bags under his eyes as well. The entire clergy must've gotten little rest while caring for all these people…. So why should he relax when everyone else was laboring?

"….I don't know…." The priest sighed, "Why are the two of you here?"

"We're looking for a girl named Arisu L'Écarlate. She went missing a few days ago," Shura stated matter-of-factly, "Did a French girl stop by here?"

"French…? No, I…wait – _yes – _yes, I think there was actually! But I never spoke to her, so I can't be sure. You should ask Kyoko or Izumi."

The woman began to walk towards the kitchen, "Kay, thanks, I'll do that!"

She left the two standing awkwardly by the doorway.

"Yukio," the priest started "What's going on? You're clearly neglecting your health."

"Nagatomo… did you attend cram school with Father Fujimoto?"

"Yukio, don't ignore my question!"

"I'm _begging _you – this is a matter of life and death!"

"…..No, I didn't. I'm younger than him…"

"Did any of the others?"

"Not that I know of."

"Alright, now answer me this. Did this same virus ever break out in the past?"

Before the priest could respond, another clergyman ran towards the two – it was Izumi.

"Y-Yukio! How did you get here? You look pale – "

"_I'm fine really._"

"….?" The man made eye-contact with Nagatome, then shrugged.

"Any way, I came here to tell you that the man who barged in before is clean… and he just started to calm down."

"What man?" Yukio asked.

Izumi gave him a concerned look, but still answered the question.

"A few hours ago a man ran into the monastery screaming about his abducted child…."

"Where is he?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"_Please,_ Izumi… As an exorcist, I need to ask him what he saw…."

It was a stretch… But a _child _being kidnapped may have had some correlation to the '_Mother'._

"We're exorcists too, Yukio," Nagatomo stated calmly, "We'll ask him."

Yukio's voice further hardened; he leaned closer towards the two men.

"You don't understand… I'm searching for a cure."

The priests' eyes widened with realization. Suddenly everything about the young man, from his tone to his ill physique, made sense. Searching for vaccination for 'Noire Du Sang' was emotionally and physically draining.

"He's in Rin's bedroom…. We were running out of space…" Izumi said quietly.

_There?...! But why?_

Yukio nodded and walked in that direction. Later on, he would think about how rude he had been. Those men, along with Rin, were the last of his family. It has been month since they last saw each other and the young man didn't even grace them with a single 'hello'. The feeling of guilt was yet another emotion added to the crushing against his psyche.

* * *

><p><strong>The last time Yukio had entered that room, he found the lifeless body of his foster-father bleeding on the ground.<strong>

It was a sight that would forever remain in his memory….plague his thoughts until the day he died. The bunk beds were completely untouched, sheets folded neatly and tucked to the sides. The dresser was still there along with a spot of dried, copper-colored blood on the ground.

Repulsed, the young man wondered why it hadn't been cleaned yet. Had the priests no respect for Father Fujomoto's memory? Why would they keep such an evident sign of his murder? Almost a second after the thought, it occurred to him that none of the clergy had the heart to even _look_ at the spot… So instead, they must've locked the area shut and refused to let anyone in… Not for the past year….

Not until this man came along.

There he was, back turned, sitting on the ground, knees up to his chest. The man wore what seemed to originally be a white shirt and pants, except they became dirtied and grayed by the filth outside. Although Yukio could not see it, he could tell the man cradled a single candle, the only light source in the room. The object seemed to give him an inhuman glow, as though he was some kind of celestial creature that became impure and crashed to the earth.

"Are you an exorcist?" the stranger asked. The voice was much younger than Yukio had expected…. He sounded twenty – no – thirty, tops. His sentence came out soft, but ended in a raspy manner.

"Yes," the young man stated. "I am Yu – "

"Yukio Okumura… Intermediate First Class… I heard much about you."

"…..I…."

"You are….of genius caliber…. correct?"

Did the stranger intend to mock him? Was he accusing the young man of false glory… an undeserving praise that could not save his child? If it was, Yukio could not hear it in his tone…no sarcasm. As a matter of fact, he couldn't read any emotion from the man's speech. Perhaps he was in shock…?

"Sir," the doctor stepped forward, "I have a few questions about your son's abduction."

At the mention of his son, the man's posture straightened a bit.

"I thought you were already on that case," he droned.

"_What?_"

Something about this stranger made Yukio uncomfortable. He felt like there was a double meaning in his words… a meaning he could not understand.

"I thought you were on that case…"

"Sir, I do not know what you are talking about. I haven't heard of this incident until now."

The man turned his head, exposing tired, yellowed eyes hanging beneath wisps of red hair. The candle's glow casted a grim shadow that folded over the left side of his face.

_The shadows… _

"You are not acquainted with the spate of infections?"

"N-Noire Du Sang?...! Of course I am familiar with the disease. I am a doctor."

"Then what do you need to know?"

"_About your son's disappearance,_" the young man snipped with frustration.

"My son…. my son…." The stranger turned his body round to face Yukio, but he remained on the ground, "He's gone….will… never see his….family again…"

"He _won't_ if you don't cooperate. Did you see who took him?"

"Yes."

"Could you describe this person to me?"

"I cannot describe what's impossible to see."

"I don't understand."

"The world contains a lot more fatalities than one would wish…. If a child plunges herself into a lake, is she aware of the danger of drowning?"

"Sir, I _don't see _how this is going to _help_."

"Is a doll of flesh merely a doll of flesh, or something powerful?"

"What are you – "

"Is a bastard a slimed mistake, or a being of importance?"

"You – "

"Does a demon drip with _BLOOD_, or is he a friend?"

"_ENOUGH!_" the young man's patience ceased, fists balling in rage,"_Do you WANT to help your son or not?...!_"

The man stared blankly ahead, completely unaffected. Didn't Kyodo say this person was panicking before? What happened?

"Does an exorcist battle hell…or the hell that's wormed inside?"

Yukio whipped around and began to leave the room. This man was mentally unstable; there was not a sensible word that came out of his mouth. There was nothing he could do to help.

"How does one exorcise Satan if the great Demon God lives in your _BLOOOD?_"

The young man stopped in his tracks and turned.

"What are you saying about my brother? How do you know about him?"

The man shifted to his feet gracefully.

"I only pose a question of doubt in your heart."

"_TCH – How do you know what I feel?_" Yukio's shoulders shook, afraid…

'_/hhA! hhA! hhAAAA! rEEAlY?..!/'_

'_/cOOcKy bAAstAArD, lOOk aT wHaaT yOOu'Re dEEaLiNg wIItH!/'_

'_/gOO oNN aNNd LoOOk aTT yOOuR eNNeMy!/'_

"I _KNOW _WHAT I'M DEALING WITH!" he blurted out.

The stranger was silent…studying the young man with great intensity.

"I…," Yukio continued, "I am aware of what my brother is… b-but… that won't be enough to have him killed…"

"Ah… But he cannot be saved."

That was when the young man held the gun in front of him, pointing it at the demented man.

"_Who are you?_" he growled, "Do you even _have_ a son?"

A slow, calmed smile formed on the stranger's face. His eyes remained soft… out of content with the words he'd said.

"Don't shoot, Yukio, and don't call for your teammate. The creatures outside are waiting to feed on those inside."

_Dammit, a trap… He has the monastery surrounded. No wonder Shura and I didn't run into any of the infected… They were following us, waiting for me to get here…._

In the depths of his heart, Yukio knew the truth…

**The dark still haunted him.**

**The unknown.**


	25. Chapter 24: The Bitter Foresight

**A/N: **While writing these chapters… I realized something… this entire story…. Is a ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE FIC! O.O Seriously! I did not realize this until twenty-four chapters later!

Speaking of chapters, the point of views of next three are different from the regular pattern. I'm skipping Arisu's POV and going strait to Rin (she's crazy at the moment so… anything I write wouldn't make sense…) After Rin there will be a double Yukio chapter!

Anyway, thank you Hartanna, AoWoSora, and MyStrawberryDeath for your comments!

**Hartanna: **^^; Ahh more cliffhangers… sorry… this fic has a lot of them… I'm glad you found it disturbing! The bad guy I'm about to introduce is supposed to be a creepy guy.. He makes Yukio seem sane… o.o

**AoWoSora: **Once again thank you! You're really nice!

**MyStrawberryDeath: **XD Yes! Isaac does deserve to be punched! And yes Arisu is a weirdo… poor Rin and Aidyn…

* * *

><p><strong>The world seemed to be crumbling beneath Rin's feet.<strong>

Everything he knew, all that he held dearly was falling apart. Sheimi avoided him, Suguro hated him, Konekomaru feared him, Yukio….Yukio was losing his freaking _mind – _and Kuro was taken by the enemy. What exactly happened… Rin could not remember; it was all a complete hell. The teen could only recall half of the battle with his familiar. Everything got all fuzzy after that.

He woke in Mephisto's office.

"Well, weeell… Did you have a nice nap Mr. Okumura?"

The teen moaned as he lifted himself from the couch, head pounding heavily.

"K-Kuro…_w-why was he - ?...!_"

"Settle down, I shall explain the situation to the best of my ability."

"…"

"I'm afraid he's being controlled by the enemy."

Even Rin got that…. The question was….

"B – but _why?_"

"Who can say? There must be a strong force dominating him."

"W-who?...!"

"Whoever's involved in creating 'Noire Du Sang."

"You mean - !"

"It is clear that this event is strongly linked to the current epidemic."

The teen's eyes widened with realization. "Y-you mean it's the Goddess or the Doll-guy that's controlling Kuro?...!"

"Yeess."

"But why would they take him?"

"I thought that'd be obvious? It's you they want."

"….Because I'm Satan's son?"

"Assuming so, yes."

Rin stared down at the carpet, miserably – first Fujomoto was killed…now Kuro's brainwashed? The thought of his familiar, mindless and snarling with that bleeding neck – blood oozing down his side… was unbearable. The teen was so tired of others getting hurt because of him. Maybe the world would've been better if he hadn't been born at all.

After the thought, he got up abruptly and began marching towards the door. The headmaster sighed and waved his hand dismissively.

"Searching for him now wouldn't be wise. You haven't a single clue to where your friend is."

Rin stopped, shoulders hunched in hopeless despair.

"Then…what else could I do…? If I can't look for him now – what CAN I DO_?_...!" The question was directed more towards himself than Mephisto. Even so, the man panned on answering it.

An insidious grin curled at the ends of the headmaster's lips. Sitting at his desk, he crossed his legs, laced his fingers together and leaned forward.

"_Prepare yourself_. Prepare for the chaotic hell that has yet to come."

The teen looked straight into Mephisto's face, determined, as he listened to man's speech.

"I hope you realize, Mr. Okumura, that the current situation goes beyond even the virus."

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is…. there will be so much more on the line than just your life… so _much _more. Friendships will be tested – companions _will_ die. Doubt and confusion will follow at every turn. Pain, sorrow, _fear_ will cut you down…haunt your nights…"

"….."

"A happy ending is not guaranteed…. Rather… it's highly unlikely that we shall all come out of this with warm smiles on our faces…. And ninety percent of the time… you will _not_ feel strong enough. What we are facing right now, Mr. Okumura, is only the calm before the storm."

Rin's response was hoarse and solemn.

"How are you so sure about this?"

"Because… I've seen it all happen before."

"W-what?...! With who?...!"

"Shiro Fujimoto."

"_How?..! W-what happened to him?...!_"

"Oh… as I have said to your brother, my memory has failed me…. The only thing I can refer to is the emotional pain he felt."

"_Hmph! _That's a _lie_! You remember and you _know _it!"

"Believe what you want, it won't take away the foreboding of your destiny."

The teen clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

"_Tch, _bring it on then! I'm not afraid of whatever's thrown at me! I _will _get Kuro back, and I'll keep all my friends safe too!"

Rin turned to leave for good this time. However, before he left Mephisto called out to him.

"Oh yes! I've forgotten to mention one other thing, Mr. Okumura."

"….?"

"While you're busy fussing over the wellbeing of others, keep in mind your own humanity. It just might be one of the first things to go…"

**There was a flash of horror in the teen's eyes before he ripped his gaze away and walked through the doors. **


	26. Chapter 25:The Madman's Obsession Part 1

**After three hours of slow tortured fear, little Yukio was eventually found.**

The child could hear the voice of his fathercalling from afar. Sobbing, he ran towards the noise, nearly tripping over two awkwardly skinny legs.

'_Father – FATHER!'_

Even with Yukio's weak eyes, the silhouette of Fujimoto came into focus. Everything was all right now…. Dad was here… he would protect him. After crashing into the priest, the boy could feel the man's strong hand placed firmly on his head. Father's voice was compassionate yet powerful.

'_Yukio… don't worry… only the most scared demons hide in the dark.'_

'_R-really…why?'_ the boy hiccupped.

'_Because they aren't strong enough to fight what's in front of them. But not you…you are strong, Yukio.'_

If only Father Fujimoto's voice didn't seem so far away. The memory was fading, submerging itself into the harsh realities of the present. The powerful, intelligent, and resilient Paladin was no longer here. The only thing left to keep Yukio alive was his own vulnerable mind and the metal pistol clenched tightly between his hands.

The red-haired man in front of the doctor was not what he seemed.

"Don't shoot, Yukio, and don't call for your teammate. The creatures outside are waiting to feed on those inside."

The young man squeezed a response out of the tightness of his throat.

"Who are you?"

The stranger gracefully set the candle down by his feet. "I am your friend… or adversary, I suppose…. But I could be your friend, if you do me a favor."

"…"

"Come with me."

"What?"

" '_What – What?' _Why ask such a thing? It would be much easier if you just followed my instructions."

Yukio released the safety of his gun.

"_Tch – _I'm not going to ask you again – _who are you?...!_"

The man closed his eyes and sighed.

"I am Sanguis."

"Sanguis?"

"Yes, that is the name I have chosen for myself."

"Alright then, tell me, Sanguis – is this so-called 'missing son' of yours even real? Or is he just an excuse to get into the Monastery?"

"Well, that's a ridiculous question, of course, I'm seeking a boy."

The man lifted his index finger directly at Yukio.

"You."

"What?...!"

"You. You are the child I am looking for."

"I am not your son!"

"Well, I never said _that._ I only said I've come to retrieve you."

"Then why did you tell the clergymen you had an abducted son?...!"

"How do you know I don't? Perhaps I _do_ have a son. Or perhaps… that's just a figment of your imagination…or _my_ imagination… who knows…"

"Enough with the mind games!"

"Oohh so bland…," Sanguis mumbled under his breath. "Perhaps I should've sent the cat demon for you after all."

"_What was that?_" Yukio's voice hardened.

To the doctor's irritation, the man seemed to perk up after hearing the edge in his voice.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, smiling.

"What you said about a cat demon… are you saying that while you're here, a familiar is after my brother?"

"Oh, you have a brother? How charming."

The young man pulled the trigger and fired two shots at the wall, right next to Sanguis' head.

"_ANSWER _ME!" he boomed.

Citizens from the other rooms must've heard the firing, because the once quiet area now echoed with terrified hollers and stomping feet.

"Oh my!" The man's tone was full of surprised amusement as he looked at the bullet holes. "That wasn't rational – not rational at all! HAHA! I was told you were cold and calculating!"

Sanguis' smile no longer seemed calm… It was a wild, curled thing that slinked at the edges of his face, full of insidious white teeth. Yukio couldn't tell if they were sharp. Was he possessed? The young man didn't know, and truthfully, he did not care. All he wanted to do was put a bullet through this bastard's head.

"You were _told_? By who? The Goddess? The Dollmaker? Answer me."

"What a predictable question. Why don't we continue that conversation about your brother!"

"I TOLD YOU TO ANSWER ME!"

"Ha….hahaha… Such concern for your sibling…such…. foreboding…"

Yukio bit the inside of his lip and the taste of copper flowed over his tongue.

"_I told you to ANSWER…_"

"Don't you remember? I told _you_ not to shoot…. Are you losing your sense, Yukio? Do you want the people here to _diiiiiiiie?_" His voice was light, jovial, a singsong pitch.

Yukio wanted silence that voice.

He hated the way that man talked to him on a first name basis. He _hated _how he avoided all of the doctor's questions. And he _despised _how he was one step ahead of him.

"D-damn you…"

"Yes – yes – oh _yes!_ HAHA! 'Damn you! Damn you, Sanguis! Damn you – you villain – you scum – you vile, despicable creature!"

"….!"

"Ha…haha…." The man gasped and caught his breath. He began to relax, but there was an edge to his quiet tone, stillness before the storm.

"How delightful…how…" he looked at Yukio. "…Charming. I believe this will be amusing, after all."

Sanguis began to approach the doctor, who laid presser on the trigger, ready to fire once more.

"DON'T MOVE! Stay right where you are!"

"Come now, you're going to have to be a bit more clever than that… guns are boring, after all," he trilled the words, his voice cultured, like a bored gentleman, "Now, my playmates flooding into this place – ravaging everything – tainting this holy sanctum – killing and eating everyone – now, that sounds entertaining! Wouldn't you like to see that? Actually, why _don't_ you shoot me, Yukio?"

There was no doubt in the young doctor's mind…

…that Sanguis was a madman.

Everything the stranger said was either a stealthy riddle or blind hysteria. Even so, the man's obsessive rants contained a grain of truth – he was the one in control. The infected outside could break in at any moment. All the innocent citizens crowded in this place were at risk. Yukio needed to think of a way out of this dilemma.

Carefully, he lowered the gun a fraction of an inch. Sanguis' smile widened at the motion.

"Sit down, good sir. We have plenty of time before I take you. Perhaps we can have a tea party?"

"_S-Shut up!_"

"Oh dear. I suppose you don't like tea. Or parties."

_No… this is what he wants… Don't let him have power over your emotions…_

_Think….just think. Clear your mind._

_Why am I getting so upset?_

_An exorcist must be able to deal with any type of foe…including ones who are unstable._

The young man did everything he could to be rational.

"If the infected listen to your orders, that must mean you work for the Goddess and the Dollmaker," Yukio stammered, "What do they want from my brother and I?"

"Did I say I was after your brother? Well… I suppose I am…or not. Though he does seem like quite the sociable one. After all, that child _is _the reckless twin, perhaps you could introduce me."

"_Rrrrgg…don't mock me…_"

Sanguis walked closer – until he was only ten inches away from the doctor.

"Do you know…what makes the two of you brothers… hm? I'll give you a hint, the answer is something I absolutely adore… above even my own life."

"…"

"Above even my own life… It flows through us and marks our identity… a loss of this substance means death."

"W-what?"

The man tapped on the glass of Yukio's protective helmet and spoke in a whisper.

"_BLOOOOOD._"

In a matter of seconds, the young man kneed Sanguis in the solar-plexus, pinned him to the ground, and grimaced.

"Keep in mind… _never _get to close to your opponent."

The man laughed maniacally as Yukio called for Shura and the priests.

"Shura, this man – "

Before he could finish the sentence, his female colleague barged through the doors.

"Good! Took ya long enough! I was just about to sic my familiar on 'im."

"You were _eavesdropping _the entire time?...!"

"Well, yeah, but don't take it personally. I overheard that sick f*ck's threat so I went to strengthen the barrier around the monastery first."

Yukio couldn't argue with this. By increasing the churches defense, the infected could not get inside.

In other words, Sanguis was powerless.

"…_Fine…._ Hold him down while I switch to tranquilizer bullets."

"Kay – okay don't be so pushy, Wimpy."

The man pressed his forehead against the wall as he cackled through gritted teeth.

"Heheheheh… w-why does one brother care for the other? Hehe-haha… _BLOOD. _It's always _BLOOD. _A brother wouldn't be a brother without _BLOOD_, no, without _BLOOD,_ he'd be a hopeless fool one the street – HAHA – You'd pass him by without a single glance. He could die – he could shed his _BLOOD _and you wouldn't even know, let alone care – "

Yukio placed his gun firmly at the back of Sanguis' head.

"_QUIIIIEEET!_ You're _done_."

"Hey – hey, Yukio…." Shura warned. "Cool it… Don't let this guy get to ya."

"Too late." The man moaned as he pulled out a needle and stuck it into the doctor's wrist.

"ARRGG!"

"YUKIO!"

Yukio felt light-headed as the man yanked the sharp object out of his flesh. Gripping his dripping wrist, the doctor looked closely at the needle. It was a skinny glass tube, roughly the length of his forearm. The object was filled of Yukio's blood; Sanguis had drained it from him.

"This…," the man cooed, kicking the doctor off, "Is why I do what Mother says…"

After being struck, Yukio fell on his back. His blurred vision gradually came back into focus as he leaned forward. The doctor wobbled onto his feet only to watch in horror as Sanguis stuck the needle deep in his own arm. The red fluid sank down from the tube and into the man's body. He kept his eyes shut, expecting to feel something powerful.

However, Yukio noticed disappointment on Sanguis' face.

"Not enough," the man mumbled to himself, throwing and shattering the glass object to the ground. "It's not enough."

He opened and laid his yellowed orbs on the doctor.

"You truly are the runt of the litter, Yukio. I suppose I have no choice but to befriend your brother after – "

Before the man could finish speaking, Shura slashed him across the chest with her sword. He fell backwards, twitching and bleeding with amusement. Following the assault, Yukio loaded his gun and shot Sanguis with a tranquilizer. The man lay motionless as the doctor faced his colleague.

"It's over."

"Not exactly, wimpy…"

"What?..! But he's – "

In order to avoid the man from overhearing, Shura pulled Yukio close and whispered in his ear.

"The _barrier. _It's stronger, but I don't know how long it's gonna last."

"What do you mean..?"

"I'm gonna be blunt. When it comes to 'Noire Du Sang,' we got nothin'. Almost every demon has some kind of weakness, a death verse…an aria… some way to combat it… But we don't have that for the infected outside."

"So we're still in danger."

"Yeah, I managed to cook up a-couple-a powerful spells around the church but, like I said, it wont last."

"How long?"

"Heh?"

"How long _will _it last?"

"Uuuhhh..forty minutes… an hour tops."

"Alright, that's all I need to hear," the young man stated as he zipped open his suit and retrieved the bandages he always carried on him. As a doctor, it was his responsibility to be ready to treat any injury… including his own.

"Shura, you need to get out of here."

"Whaaaaat?...! You really did lose your marbles!"

"We don't have a choice – I'll stay here and protect the civilians while you go and get help from True Cross…get Mephisto… anyone."

"You're friggin' bleeding all over!"

Yukio wrapped his wound tightly; the pressure further creating pinches of sharp pains that seeped up his arm. He wasn't looking at Shura, rather, his eyes were fixed straight ahead… at the psychotic man on the ground.

"I can last," he nearly whispered.

The woman placed her hands on her hips and sighed.

"_Fine, _I still think you're nuts, though… Don't _die _on me, Wimpy."

**Yukio nodded as she bolted from the room.**

* * *

><p>"<strong>Yukio – YUKIO! What on earth happened?...!"<strong> Kyodo yelled as the priests ran into the bedroom.

"We heard you shoot, but your colleague told us to stay outside."

"Don't worry," the Doctor stated calmly, "I just need to – "

"What are you _talking about – YOUR ARM!,_" Izumi protested.

"I handled it. Everything's all under control… I'm fine."

Nagatomo was silent for a moment, searching for the words to say… Finally he spoke.

"What do you want us to do…?"

"We need to restrain this man as soon as possible. He's a spy… for whatever demon's responsible for the plague."

The clergymen glanced at each other with startled and worried faces. Yukio continued…

"He's threated to send the infected into the monastery."

"We know… Ms. Kirigakure warned us about the barrier."

"So you know we don't have much time."

Nagatomo nodded reluctantly, "We don't have rope to tie that man… But I can create another barrier to put around him. A small one… that would prevent him from moving."

"That sounds like enough."

The priest pulled out a piece of chalk from his pocket and kneeled down. As he drew the magic circle, Yukio noticed something. Nagatomo made a conscience effort not to look at the stain of Father Fujimoto's blood on the ground… all the clergymen did, actually.

For some irrational, reason, this filled the young man with a fiery rage. His foster father was _dead – _why couldn't they accept that? Why couldn't they acknowledge what happened? _Yukio _did – he forced himself to everyday! What made _them_ deserve the luxury of denial?

The doctor clenched his fists until they were paper white, his teeth gritted until it seemed like they would all crack. These men… he _hated _them… _he HATED them! _Immediately after the thought, Yukio's anger was replaced by fear.

_W…what was that?_

_How could I think such a thing?_

_Yes…true, Father Fujimoto was the one that raised me… but these men… they're part of my childhood as well_...

_They too are like family…_

_So WHY - ?_

"I'm finished, let's place the body on here now."

The doctor snapped back into reality and helped the others lift Sanguis. As they did so, he looked at Maurta.

"Ms. Kirigakure and I originally came here searching for a girl named Arisu L'Écarlate. Have you seen her?"

"Yes, your colleague asked about that a while ago. A young French lady was here, we found her mumbling nonsense to herself outside the monastery."

The memory of Isaac flashed in Yukio's mind –

'_Needless to say she came home every night with gashes and bruises all over, muttering stupid sentences from ze corners of 'er mouth!'_

They rested the unconscious man on the circle, hopefully preventing him from doing any harm.

"So… she's here, then?"

Maurta looked down sadly.

"Unfortunately, no… she ran out moments after this man broke in… "

'_Now look, Meister Okumura, she iz gone due to zat foolishness._'

"I told _you – _I should've gone after her," Kyodo interrupted.

"Kyodo…," Izumi said carefully, "You would've died…and the rest of these people need your help."

The priest looked away with shame.

"I just can't stand the thought of a little girl out there by herself…"

"Don't blame yourself," the doctor stated coldly, "I's obvious the girl was unstable. Her actions could never have been anticipated."

"All the more reason to have looked out for her! Yukio, where is your heart?"

"_In the GROUND with Father Fujimoto!"_

Who said that?

Whose voice did that belong to?

It surely didn't belong to Yukio…right? He would never say anything so awful to his own family…

The expression on Kyodo's face was of shock and anger.

"How could you say something like that – about your own father?"

The other priests stood there hopelessly, unsure of what to do…

The young man didn't know what came over him… but he just couldn't stop, "At least I say something. All of you ignore his end, like it didn't mean anything – you left his damn _blood _on the floor."

Kyodo walked out of the room and Maurta went calling after him.

The rest were still silent, uneasy.

Suddenly, a voice emerged from the reticence.

"I'm heart broken by that conversation– truly heart broken."

The young man and priests whipped around to see Sanguis lying wide-eyed on his back, staring straight at the ceiling.

"No…," Yukio huffed, more exhausted than he realized, "No, you're not…."

He approached the man, pointing his gun.

"I've had enough of you… I want the truth… _Now_."

"…."

"…What do your leaders want with Rin and I? And what are they trying to accomplish with this plague?"

The stranger continued to stare, lost in his own mind.

"This so-called 'truth' you desire…" he eventually moaned, "It's nothing more than a hopeless fantasy."

The doctor gave a sharp response.

"I hardly believe that once you're taken into custody, you'll be treated with hospitality…. There's no saying what kind of torture the Vatican will put a _wretch_ like you through… Perhaps killing you here would be merciful."

"I'd tell you…," Sanguis whispered as he looked at Yukio, shaking his head with a false pity,"…but you don't want to hear it."

"_Why_ did you inject yourself with my blood?"

"…."

"_Tell me…_"

"…"

"_TELL ME!_"

Once again, the madman gave a whimsical grin – ecstatic at the sight of the doctor's loss of composure.

"Why don't you look for the monster under your bed? The one daddy tried so hard to scare away?"

"_AAAARRGG!_"

Yukio fired at the man, but the bullets ricocheted of his prison.

'_TSK – How could I've forgotten?...! A magic barrier like this keeps forces from leaving or entering….'_

'_He knew this too – no wonder that man never batted an eye the sight of my weapon…. This Sanguis is much smarter than I thought.'_

'_Which means…. There might be some relevance to what he says… I just need to look harder.'_

"Go on…" the stranger cooed, "Go on – and prove how strong you are."

"Alright, " Yukio responded calmly, removing the helmet of his suit and approaching the bunk beds.

"Yukio…" Izumi stumbled, "Are you sure you should be…. doing that? I mean this man is…."

But the young man did not listen… instead he got on his stomach and crawled under the bedstead.

"He's lost it…" the priest mumbled to himself in disbelief.

The furniture's bottom was incredibly dusty. Yukio hacked on dirtied air as he left the candle's illumination behind. It was pitch black, so he yanked a flashlight out of the crevice of his unzipped suit. The young man didn't know what he was looking for. He jolted the light side-to-side, pushing away old boots and crumbled magazines Rin lost years ago.

When he was six, Yukio and his brother played tag all over the monastery. Rin was _'it' _and the weak child was chased for hours. Big brother never got tired, see… and Yukio was nothing _but _tired. Eventually the boy stumbled into this very room. He stared at the bed, and pondered hiding underneath.

However, the thought was too scary.

So, instead little Yukio allowed himself to be caught.

"Ah – _there! _What's that?..."

"W-what?...! What did you find?...!"

The doctor spotted a marking on the floor. It was another magic circle… written in red… in _blood_.

_A blood seal?_

_Here?_

_But why?_

Yukio felt a burning sensation as he traced his fingers over the marks. In a sudden burst of determination, he dug his nailed in and began to rip up the floorboards. By tearing the ground, the young man reveled a hole filled with paper – the same type of paper he found in the _photo album. _

Shining his flashlight, he carefully examined the pages. Indeed, they too contained that bizarre scripture… only these were clearly studied by another expert in the past. Sentences were circled and notes were written in the margins. Yukio recognized that handwriting anywhere.

It belonged to Father Fujimoto.

The young man quickly placed the pages into his suit and zipped it closed. He wriggled out from underneath the bed and glared at Sanguis.

"How did you know – "

"I _found _it, of course!"

"….Alright…. _Why _did you so readily give me this piece of information?"

"Well, _you're_ a man of many faces, Yukio! I thought you _wanted_ me to give you information?"

"Yes, but you did so without a fight – when you knew I couldn't hurt you!"

The man shifted himself upward and sat cross-legged on the floor.

"I told you. I only do… what I do to get what I _desire_, and that is either _BLOOOD _or amusement."

"So this is all a _game _to you."

"Precisely."

"What's so amusing about leading me to my father's notes?"

" I no longer desire to hunt you, Yukio Okumura. Your blood is not what I desire….no…..not potent enough… I'll just have to find your brother for that."

"_WHAT – _"

"But I _do _like how your mind works… It's like a roller coaster – up and down – up and down – you're lost, you're found – you're calm – you're losing your mind – it's all quite fun actually."

It was obvious that this man wasn't loyal to those he worked for…. He only stayed because the Goddess and the Dollmaker gave him something _'interesting' _or _'fun'_ to do.

So… they must only use him because he's _powerful._

And now he has his sights set on _Rin_…

"Don't worry…," Maurta staggered, "He can't do anything as long as he's here."

"No… He _can._" Yukio murmured and stared at Sanguis, "Can't you….? You're just waiting for the right moment to escape."

Sanguis smiled gleefully.

"**I was waiting for those words."**


	27. Chapter 26:The Madman's Obsession Part 2

**There was an explosion and everything attacked Yukio all at once.**

Following the madman's words, hundreds of the infected broke into the monastery and slammed the young man to the ground. The gun slid from his hands and skid across the room. He felt the creatures scratching, pulling, biting at his legs – trying desperately to rip his suit. The sounds of hissing and snapping diluted the doctor's hearing. Yukio shielded his exposed head with his arms.

In the distance, he heard screaming down the hallway – helpless citizens.

"Arrgg– _NO!_" the young man yelled as he dragged himself away and grabbed his helmet.

After clicking it back on, he quickly scanned the room for the other priests – whose lives were in great danger. They weren't shielded from the disease like Yukio was. Suddenly, a rush of heat and yellow light filled the room and pushed the away the beasts. It came from Maurta, who used his tamer abilities to summon a fire demon. The priest stood in the doorway.

"Quick - _everyone_!" he called over the ruckus, "Over here! We need to protect the citizens!"

Before responding, the young man looked over to see that Sanguis was gone. All that remained was a broken seal on the ground, smattered with black fluid.

_So you did escape after all._

_But where did you go?_

With the others behind him, the doctor quickly ran after Maurta.

Izumi faced Nagatomo, out of breath, "Should we put up another barrier?..! Around the people – "

Yukio answered for him, "I don't think that'll do any good… That man broke out of the prison with no problem."

"Then what should we do?..! What other choice do we have?..!" the priest argued.

The young man pulled out a second gun and began firing at any infected following them.

"About a half-hour ago, I sent Shura to get aid! She'll be back any moment!" he shouted.

"Then we need more time," Nagatomo affirmed as he stopped and faced the creatures.

"What are you doing?..!"

"I'll summon my familiar, Moorkin, to hold them off!"

"That's it!" Yukio cried, "Most of us can fight at a distance – without being touched by the plasma! Maurta with his fire, Nagatomo with Moorkin, Izumi with your ariahs, and I with my firearms! Lets form a semi-circle around the people and fight off the infected until help comes!"

The priests agreed and ran into the church area. Once there, the four began to round the people into a corner. Some citizens were in such an extreme state of hysteria that they refused to cooperate. They clawed, punched and shrieked at anything that came near, even those who were trying to help. At one point, Yukio was forced to knock out a panicked man and drag him to the crowd of others.

The young man's mind was hot-wired to think the same three things over and over again: _Aim. Fire. Reload. Aim. Fire. Reload. _

Nothing else existed except his weapon, these people, and the creatures ahead.

Nothing else mattered except getting a good shot.

Then, suddenly… a poisonous thought broke into Yukio's hard-steel mind –

_Where's Kyodo?..!_

As he warded off the infected, the young man searched for the clergyman, who was nowhere in sight.

"Nagatomo! Where is Kyodo?..!"

"I'm not sure! I haven't seen him!"

"_Damn,_" he hissed to himself.

Another thought broke through –

_What if Sanguis is after Rin right now?_

Yukio kicked one creature aside and shot another five times in the head.

_What if he's already dead…_

He ripped the thought from his mind.

_No…Rin may be immature… but he wouldn't die so easily._

The screeching of shattered glass and broken concrete erupted at every corner. It was all chaos – the rumbling beneath his feet, the snarls of disease-ridden victims, the recoil of his gun, helpless cries of those still pure. Everything – _everything_ was complete madness; the young man didn't have _time _to think anymore. He relied heavily on muscle memory and those three words – _Aim. Fire. Reload. _They were coming… the diseased were closing in, ready to kill.

– Then suddenly…. It all just stopped.

The infected ceased attacking and remained perfectly still. A chilling silence pressed over the entire monastery. Every living soul – Yukio, the priests, even the civilians waited and anticipated another assault.

No one moved a muscle.

_What's happening…?_

Yukio knitted his brow and stared at the creatures – they gazed thoughtlessly ahead.

_What are they waiting for…?_

Something was coming.

_But what?...!_

The diseased slowly parted, revealing and reuniting the young man with a detested acquaintance.

"Well I believe it has been to long since we last saw each other! Wasn't that previous escapade just to die for? I told you releasing my friends would be amusing."

"Why did you come back?" Yukio growled.

Sanguis' expression remained exactly the same, blindly happy in his seemingly _courteous_ physique.

"What's your opinion on life Yukio?"

The doctor swiftly raised his gun at the man, who tilted his head.

"Now, now, lets not do this again– we've been through this before. You know it's not going to work," the man gave a large gesture with his arm, swinging it towards the crowd of infected.

"You see… I have all _this…. _And you have… three… middle-aged…. Clergymen."

Sanguis approached Yukio and knocked off his helmet with the back of his hand. Then, he grabbed the doctor's face from under the chin. The man clenched the teen's jaw tightly and sank nails into the whiteness of his cheeks. The young man felt a tingle of disgust seep down his spine.

"Let – _go!_"

He tried hard to jerk away, but the man's grip wouldn't release.

"YUKIO!"

One of the priests called out, but Sanguis quickly raised his finger.

"Aah – aaah… no sudden movements. We don't want everyone here to die, now do we?"

He turned towards Yukio.

"I'm going to ask you again, what is your opinion on life?"

"…"

"Come now, I told you _mine_, it's only fair you tell me yours…hmm? Do you…. _think_ of yourself as some kind of _white knight… _riding these streets of a broken town, carrying some form of _self-righteous_ glory, like clothes on your back? I mean, what have these people done to deserve your protection other than self-vanity…? The belief that you're going to live and get out of this situation? You are a genius after all… what can hurt you?"

_That wasn't the truth at all._

The young exorcist tried and failed to break free again, he glared into the eyes of the madman, burning with hatred.

_Everyday I feel helpless and weak_.

"I know what you think of me….," Sanguis continued, "You think that I'm an evil villain that needs to be brought down…. Well, I am afraid you're wrong about that, my friend. I'm only looking for a bit of fun."

Yukio quietly lifted his gun towards the man's torso, hoping he wouldn't notice.

_Try to distract him._

"W-why did you come back…? What's so amusing if my blood is unsatisfying?"

"Didn't I answer that? I won't say it again."

"Why did you inject yourself with my blood?"

"Hm?"

_Aim…_

"What was the point of injecting yourself with my blood? Don't you fear for your own health? You're lucky my blood type is O… the universal donor… or you could've been poisoned…. Your organs would've shut down."

Sanguis leaned in so close; their foreheads nearly touched. The doctor could see the whites of the man's eyes… and the red veins stitched through it.

"I – "

_FIRE_

Yukio shot his chest.

The man released the doctor and stumbled backwards, blood dripping from his mouth, staining a violent red into his grayish suit. He hunched over the bullet wound, smiling.

"Ha….haha…. So quick to end the party, aren't you?"

The doctor was shocked Sanguis was still alive – he shot the man in the heart! Then again… tranquilizers didn't affect him either.

"Are you a demon?"

"What a nice, _educated _guess… but no…. I am a human who hungers for demon gore."

"A – a _human _who injects himself with _demonic fluids?...! _That's impossible – you'd be dead!"

"I suppose I would…. But here I am."

_So the blood he injects himself with gives the man a sturdier body…._

_That's how he survived my shot…_

"What will it take for you to be satisfied…? How far are you willing to take this sick game of yours?"

"Oh my! Is that is a challenge?"

"Perhaps…," Yukio gave a fake smile, "Though…how fun can it be for you to hide behind these minions? I'm sure you've seen plenty of civilians get infected in the past. What makes these people any different?"

Sanguis pulled out two more long sharp glass tubes from under his shirt.

"Nothing," he whispered.

The man launched at Yukio, who fired three shots at his head. Sanguis dodged and swung his needles. The young man ducked out of the way, crouching low to the ground, he shot again. The man's shoulder was hit, but it didn't stop him from driving the two glass pillars down over Yukio.

The doctor rolled to the left, leaving the weapons to puncture the wooden floor. His glasses fell off in the process. The young man didn't hear the priests shouting his name. Instead he fired another shell at the madman, hoping to get him while he was pulling out the needles. Sanguis lifted his left hand and the bullet went straight in. Completely unaffected by the hit, the man curled his fingers securely over the injured palm. A pool of blood formed and dripped down his arm.

During the fight, men, women, and children screamed helplessly for their lives. Children clutched to their parents and some threw hands over their heads. Others were simply shell-shocked and couldn't utter a sound.

Yukio was bothered (but then again…should've expected…) that the bullet did not go through Sanguis' hand. His body was so firm that the young man's ammunition, which could break regular bone and rip normal tissue, wasn't able to completely sever his. The madman pulled the shell out and tossed it to the ground, smirking.

"I believe we are off to a good start."

"_Don't touch him!_" Nagatomo cried, "MOORKIN!"

The clergyman's familiar, a scarecrow-like demon with a pitchfork, drove itself at the Sanguis. Maurta also stepped in to help when he blew fire at the man. This, however, was of no use, because all the mindless infected blocked the attack with their own bodies. The creatures formed a circle around Yukio and Sanguis.

"Oh no, I won't have any of that. This battle is between the boy and I. Interfere again and my friends will converge on you and these people."

"_Why you bas – _"

"It's alright!" Yukio called over the heap, "Don't worry about me, this is what I want!"

_I want to buy more time!_

"A-are you sure?..!"

"Yes!"

The man ripped his pillars from the ground and threw one at the doctor, who attempted to shield himself. The needle, however, shattered the moment it hit Yukio's arm and tiny fragments entered his eyes.

"Arrg – "

He felt a heavy slash to the side of his face and he slammed against the hard floor.

The young man attempted to rub the shards from his eyes. Bad enough his vision was blurred without the glasses.

With this… he was completely blind.

Sanguis cackled with delight and kicked him in the stomach, knocking all the air from Yukio's lungs. The doctor gasped and clenched his stomach.

"HAHA! Off the ground – OFF THE GROUND, BOY!"

"RRRGGG!"

The young man kicked Sanguis' legs, causing him to fall as well. Everything was unclear, an object merely ten inches from Yukio's face would seem like nothing more than a blurry mass.

Even so, he would fight on.

In a state of aggressive rage, the doctor grabbed for the man's shirt, pinned him to the ground and held the gun to his forehead – ready to fire, ready to end this bastard. He squeezed the trigger –

"Those symptoms aren't treating you very well, are they, Yukio?"

The young man's hand froze.

"_What?_"

Although he could not see it, Sanguis's eyes narrowed and his grin widened.

"Heheh…ahaha… Come on now, surly a scientist of your caliber would've figured it out by now… Or… are you in denial?"

"…_NO! I won't listen to your lies!_"

"Believe what you wish, but the evidence clear…."

"…._ Keep quiet. I will shoot._"

But Yukio he couldn't pull the trigger… he needed to hear what Sanguis had to say.

"Have you been getting easily frustrated?"

_No…._

"More aggressive than usual?"

_It can't be…._

"Those ugly, ugly emotions getting the better of you?"

_He wasn't implying…._

"Hurting the ones you love with nasty cruel words that spew so easily from your tongue?"

"_SHUT UP! I SAID I'D SHOOT!_"

"Heh, well it looks to me Yukio….** that you've contracted 'Noire Du Sang'."**

Everything was still…inexistent. It couldn't be true… it couldn't. Plenty of colleagues had gotten into contact with Yukio… and none were infected, right? Then again, he had been losing his patience with others more than usual…. And these thoughts of blind hatred towards the priests….

But that was just lack of sleep… it wasn't the illness….right…_RIGHT? _

This Sanguis… he was a prone-liar… he _wanted_ to see Yukio squirm, to crack, to lose hope.

He succeeded.

The young man didn't even feel his adversary grab him by the throat and lift him of his feet.

"Hehehehe…. You may be… as I've said before… a _runt _demon, but your body still carries unique properties. For instance, no one can catch it from you… the virus is locked firmly inside…. So don't worry, that woman exorcist is fine. And second….the plague takes much longer to affect you. Your immunity is fighting it… but slowly failing."

He didn't think… he didn't breathe…. All the doctor could do was stare off into space and wait for death to come.

"Really Yukio, I've deeply enjoyed this, thank you."

Sanguis squeezed Yukio's neck tighter.

"But alas… all good things must end. Goodbye – "

What happened next was vague – all the doctor knew was that Sanguis was now on the ground and he was on his feet.

"Are you alright, Yukio?"

The young man turned to see Kyodo, his mind became lucid once more.

"K-Kyodo! How did you – "

"There's no time – he's getting up."

The mad man remained on the ground; his voice droned with yet an edge of irritation.

"That wasn't fuuun…. That wasn't fun at all…"

Yukio flashed his gun at the man.

"_Quiet. _Your words have no meaning anymore."

Sanguis looked up, eyes stricken with insanity.

"Meaning – _meeeeaning? _EVERY THING has meaning - don't you seeee? Don't you seeee?"

"_No._ I don't."

"Come now, don't start to act boring just when the best part was coming!"

Yukio stared back without a trace of emotion.

Cold.

Blank.

Calculating.

Sanguis returned the glance with indifference as well. His voice dropped low – all the excitement gone.

"So, that is it," He got up, "Then I bid you farewell."

All of the infected began to surround the man until Yukio was unable to see him.

"_WAIT!_" the young man shouted, but didn't bother to fire.

He knew it was hopeless… every single creature suddenly fell to the ground dead.

The mad man was gone.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes, not sure of what to say. Yukio's shoulders relaxed and legs buckled, causing him to nearly lose his balance. The young man was exhausted. He sighed as he went to put his weapon away.

"Don't lower your gun just yet, Yukio."

All his nerves shot back up –

_He's BACK!_

But no, the voice did not come from Sanguis… it came from Kyodo. The doctor calmed slightly.

"Why? What is it?"

"Yukio…. I'm sorry… I know Father Fujimoto's death was hard on you. Not only was he like your father, he was your mentor and I should've been more sensitive…."

"I'm just as guilty…I shouldn't have said those harsh things to you,"

A pang of anxiety struck the doctor.

'_Hurting the ones you love with nasty cruel words that spew so easily from your tongue?'_

'_Heh, well it looks to me Yukio….__that you've contracted 'Noire Du Sang_'

"Don't worry about me… my pain won't last long," the clergyman responded sadly.

"Kyodo… what are you trying to say…?"

"What I'm trying to say is…," the priest sighed, "I need you to do a favor for me."

"What is that?"

"I need to borrow your gun… _please._"

"Why…?"

Yukio felt his blood pressure rise. He did _not_ like where this was going. Kyodo reluctantly pulled back his sleeves, revealing a web of black veins over his arm. A flash of the thing in the sewers – _Mr. Yonegawa _bleeding dark plasma – all the infected – ran through the young man's head.

"_N-no… it can't be… IT CAN'T BE – " _

"_Yukio,_ it's all right…. I…. I'm sure you understand…. I _need_ to end this now…. I'd rather die with my mind intact rather than kill the people I care about."

"…"

"Please, Yukio…. Give me your gun."

The young man's lungs robotically sucked in and out hot humid air. This talk of suicide…. He'd do the same. If he had the virus…. If he had 'Noire Due Sang'…. He'd take his life before damage was done. Yukio stretched the gun over Kyodo's open hand.

But then again, would he? There was so much that he needed to do… he needed to find a cure…. Save Rin's life…protect his brother from experimentation….

'_I will direct my orders on your brother. I'll have him dragged down into a lab and have him used as a guinea-pig for a cure, understood?'_

'_I suggest you use your knowledge to the best of your ability and find a cure…In four months…'_

Four months...

Four months….

'_The plague taking much longer to affect you'_

Taking a long time to affect….

He had four months….

There was still time left before it all ended for Yukio.

The young man pulled the gun away and grabbed Kyodo's arm with his gloved left hand.

"_No…_," he said coolly, "_No. _I'll find a cure and you'll be the first to take it. It's what Father Fujimoto would've done."

The priest stared with disbelief, eyes watering.

"Yukio…"

**That was the last thing Kyodo said before the reinforcements showed up brought him to a secluded area. **


	28. Chapter 27: Hands Turning Backwards

**A/N: **Thank you Hartanna, AoWoSora, and DebbieKun3 for commenting!

**Hartanna: **:D Thanks! I was jumping for joy after reading your comment! At first it was hard to write about Sanguis because everything that comes out of his mouth is some kind of riddle, and his actions are unpredictable (even to me, the author 0.0') I had him in my mind from the very beginning but putting him in words was a challenge. My sister helped a lot with these chapters. In other words… I'm sooo glad you like him!

**AoWoSora: **^^; Oh my! It looks like Sanguis has affected you the same way he did to Yukio. He's insane... no doubt about it... Hope the chapters were enjoyable though!

**DebbieKun3: **Thanks! :D

* * *

><p><strong>The cave ran down five miles beneath ground.<strong>

Sanguis walked every inch to reach his destination. The man held up a lamp as his feet sloshed in the river beneath. Beside him was the cat-demon, still under his influence. It wheezed and dragged huge, clunky paws one after another, leaving behind a trail of red-dyed water from the blood of its neck. The man's thoughts sung in happy praise.

_Oh how wonderful!_

_Oh how joyful this feels!_

When Sanguis finally reached the cavern's heart, the demon flopped onto its side in exhaustion, causing a heavy wave to crash against the rocky walls. The area would've been perpetually dark if it wasn't for the lantern, which provided a faint orange illumination. The man set the object on a boulder and kneeled into the water.

"I have come."

Silence. The only sounds came from the creature's breathing and tiny ripples splashing against rocks.

"Does my master ignore my calling?"

_**You have failed me, Sanguis.**_

The man looked up in delight to see a lone flesh doll, sitting on a high stone. The Dollmaker's toy. Its voice was soft, slow… yet piercing as a shard of ice.

"Ahh, my lady! I _feared_ you abandoned me. Oh…? You haven't come in person."

_**You have failed.**_

"Yes, yes. And what a bitter failure it was, my lady, truly heart-breaking indeed – "

_**You have FAILED.**_

The voice was shill at the word 'failed,' sending echoes and violent tremors throughout the cave.

In an attempt to sustain his laughter, Sanguis bowed his head, smirking.

"M-my lady, I shall do _everything _in my power to honor your covenant with the Goddess."

_**Where is the boy? You failed. You failed. You failed.**_

"Yukio Okumura shall be yours, as Rin Okumura shall be the Goddess's."

_**Where is the boy? Bring the boy.**_

"And I shall, but miss? What about the girl?"

Silence.

"Have you forgotten?..! Oh how _cruel _of you, my lady – haha! How cruel! You are _only_ the epitome of her nightmares!"

_**I do not care for the girl. I want the boy. The child of...**_

"But you told me yourself to bring her back one day, shouldn't that time be now? I believe she is ready."

_**I want the boy.**_

"All good things take time, my lady, and as much as you have your desires… the Goddess's plan shall never go in motion unless you have the girl."

More silence.

"If you anger the Goddess… I fear she will sever the contract and take away Yukio Okumura."

_**Bring the girl.**_

**Arisu's eyes snapped open.**

The girl saw nothing but darkness ahead. The room smelt of cleaning supplies and sterilizers – she nearly hacked on the air. Kicking her legs, Arisu realized she was lying in a bed with bars at its side. Ignoring the aching muscles, she attempted to sit up. However, exhaustion did not allow her to do so.

_Fr*ck!… Why am I…. 'ere?_

Why _was _she here? The last thing the girl remembered she was in… some kind of church… right? And then….was there screaming? She couldn't recall…

Her memory of the Monastery was already beginning to fade… To blur.

In the distance she heard a voice, _Isaac's _voice talking to some other man.

"I found 'er in ze abandoned shopping area. Completely delusional."

"Does she have the ….the illness…?"

"No. I tested ze girl. She iz clean."

"R-really?..! How?..! She was outside for so long – "

"As a doctor I can only give you facts, and ze test results came out negative."

"But there are some who get sick the moment they set foot in the rain!"

"Perhaps she iz lucky?"

"…I suppose…. Did you sterilize her clothes?"

"All burnt. She was scrubbed down 'ead to toe 'n placed in a 'ospital gown."

_What – What?..! I WAS?..! Since when?..! _

_When did zis all 'appen, you dirty bastard?..!_

Arisu kicked the side of the bed in frustration. The men seemed to hear the noise because there was a long silence. Isaac, however, chose to ignore it and continue speaking.

"Furzer more, ze girl iz clean."

"…..Mr. L'Écarlate?"

"Yes?"

"You told me… your sister was… delusional…? Why? If she's not contaminated like you said."

The girl balled her fists, her stomach constricted with fury.

_SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!_

_DONTTALKABOUTITDONTTALKABOUT IT!_

"Ah well, 'arsh childhood memory."

"Excuse me?"

_I SAID SHUT UP!_

"My sister, Arisu, was abducted as a child."

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who thought the way normal little girls were supposed to think – tea parties, frilly dresses and princesses. But one day, apparently, she was taken by a bunch of psychopaths and held for ransom. And although she couldn't remember what they did to her, she supposedly developed a form of post-traumatic-stress – diagnosed by the one and only pompous jackass Isaac.

And he forced her to swallow pills ever since.

There it was – _the apparent reason. _The _'explanation'_ for why the girl was the way she was. The EXCUSE for her insanity, her hallucinations, her forgetfulness, her obsession in demons. A sad little sob story her family could tell others when she acted improper. That she just_ 'couldn't help'_ but have irrational, warped thoughts about herself and the people around her.

To hate everyone.

But that was simply a lie. Even if Arisu _was _taken as a child_,_ she didn't _remember _a thing.

Now the man with blue eyes… and all the other people trying to kill her brother in cold blood, she certainly remembered _that_. Arisu didn't hate others because of some kind of traumatic event; she hated them because it was the truth… that every person who laid eyes on Aidyn makes a move to kill.

And for eight years Arisu had fought off those people with a knife.

Yes, she was always like this. The girl was never interested in stupid tales about pathetic maidens who couldn't do anything for themselves, and arrogant princes who rode on obnoxious white steeds. She never cared for fancy dresses. The girl would rather throw tea in Isaac's face or drink it alone. All of her pretty little outfits were caked in mud and ripped to shreds after searching for demons, a hobby she ALWAYS had – since a child. And why? Arisu couldn't explain it.

She couldn't explain why her mind was a clock whose hands ticked backwards.

"O-oh… really? I'm sorry… How long was she taken?"

"Six months."

'_**Six months to tell'**_

'_**Six months you fell'**_

"_**Six months you drowned in a murky black hell' – **_

_**Said the corpse who was oh so clever**_

_**Surely this was all false – **_

_**Surely Arisu wasn't really abducted – **_

_**They were all liars – liars – LIARS – **_

"Mr. L'Écarlate… if your sister is as troubled as you say… Why is she training to be an exorcist?"

"Oh zat – ha! She iz not really going to be an exorcist."

"What do you mean?"

"You see… my sister's mozer works abroad 'n zerefore 'as no time to look after ze girl. So I was unfortunately given ze responsibility. Arisu 'as strange interests. So I enrolled 'er in cram school to keep 'er busy."

"Strange interests? Why would cram school keep her– "

"She likes démons. Sometimes more zen people, I believe."

"Ah…. that's…. um…."

"Strange, I know."

The conversation ended, and the patter of footsteps faded into silence. Suddenly a brightness – equally blinding as the dark – filled the room. Pains shot through the girl's sensitive eyes. Someone had walked in and flipped the light switch. Arisu's vision gradually adjusted to see Isaac standing before her. At that moment she realized the room was an infirmary and her brother was about to give a lecture.

"I know you were eavesdropping," he started, "Isn't too early to be zrowing tantrums? First few minutes of lucidity and you're already kicking ze bed."

The girl snorted.

"Your little doctor-on-doctor _chats_ mean nozing to me."

"On ze contrary, _stupid girl_, zey mean _everything _at ze moment."

"Hmph. Go to 'ell."

"I am increasing your dosage."

"_WHAAAT?...!_"

Arisu nearly jumped from her bed.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE INCREASING MY – "

"It seems like your delusions are getting worse. You should've seen yourself when I found you."

"Zat was because I 'aven't _taken _ze medicine in a couple of days – "

"_Wrong._ The medication remains in one's system for at least a week. Neglecting it for two days would not take away it's effects."

"…"

"Ze prescription iz meant to prevent 'allucinations, meaning, it's supposed to _stop _you from seeing zings zat aren't truly zere."

"I _know _what it means!" The girl retaliated defensively.

"Zen you should know zat 'allucinating _despite _taking ze medication iz very serious. Ze drug iz becoming ineffective as your tolerance for it increases."

"….My tolerance iz going up…so you're going to _increase _ze _dose_? Wouldn't zat _kill_ me? Some doctor _you _are!"

"I am much more experienced in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder zen you are."

"I am NOT traumatized! And I wasn't kidnapped, I don't _remember_ being taken! Ze family just made zat story up to – "

"You truly are a stupid, foolish, girl. Are you aware of the symptoms of PTSD?"

"I _don't _care."

"You should, because zey apply directly to you."

"_TCH!"_

"One symptom iz a lack of memory of ze event… another iz flashbacks."

"…"

"Must I tell you over and over again? Ze reason you don't remember ze kidnapping iz because you don't _want_ to. And those delusions are elusive flashbacks to zat moment."

_Like ze corpse in ze water….?_

"…Shut up. Don't spit zat technical garbage at me."

"Go on and deny ze truth all you want…. As a matter of fact, Arisu, maybe it's a good zing…I'll _assist _you in denial. I'll try to make ze abduction feel as unreal as possible, give you some normalcy. But you must do as I say. In the mean time, you must be severely punished for leaving ze school premises. Zere shall be no leeway time for ze next two months. You shall get up, go to school, do 'omework, study, zen go to sleep – _no exuses._"

With that, the man turned on his heel and began to walk out. Arisu tried to throw in one last biting comment.

"You zink you're _sooo _clever and smart just because you're an exorcist n' mozer left me in your care."

Isaac did not respond to the comment as he left the room.

**Afterwards, the girl sat in complete silence until two more visitors arrived. **


	29. Chapter 28: False Friends are the Enemy

**A/N: **Thank you DebbieKun3, AnimeKpopKawaii, and Hartanna for commenting!

**DebbieKun3: **Thank you! :D

**AnimeKpopKawaii: **Lol Sorry! This next Rin chapter is longer.

**Hartanna: **You're about to find out! :D

Wow... It's been forever since I last updated. Things have been really busy lately...

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><p><strong>Rin didn't remember the walls being so damn white.<strong>

Everywhere he looked, hospital lights reflected everywhere – blinding, choking, giving him a headache. The teen got word from Mr. Tsubaki that Aidyn's sister was back and okay. Two seconds after hearing the news and attempting to translate it to his friend, Rin offered to take Aidyn to the infirmary where she was kept. The boy seemed really grateful at the motion, his eyes and smile widened, his head nodded wildly with agreement.

So here they were, sitting in a waiting room.

All around the teen was blurry, so many things were all happening at once –

Yukio

Kuro

Aidyn's sister –

Not to mention Mephisto's threat earlier…

'_While you're busy fussing over the wellbeing of others, keep in mind your own humanity. It just might be one of the first things to go…'_

What the hell did he mean by that? What was he trying to say….? Did the headmaster honestly believe Rin was gonna lose it again? The tone in the weirdo's voice bothered the teen….

Mephisto seemed so sure about it….

The thought pissed him off – here he was, trying the best he could to be a good friend for Aidyn. Protecting him…shielding him… Rin would _never _hurt anything as weak as this kid. He wanted to do the job Aidyn's no-good sister ignored. That was another thing… Rin really had no desire to see the girl. It wasn't that he didn't want her to be saved… it was just that….

…she _HATED _him.

Last time he talked to Aidyn's sister, she yelled at him for interfering with the kid's bully. She also didn't believe he was gonna be an exorcist! (All right… Yukio didn't really believe that either – but _still!_) Well he'd show her! He'd show everyone he could protect the people he cared about!

Finally, a nurse trotted out of the girl's and carefully closed the door behind her.

"She's on edge," the woman said, "…..and needs rest…. Normally I would not allow visitors, but she asked me about her brother six times…. So….. I'll make an exception."

She nodded at Aidyn and the timid boy slowly entered the room. Rin went to follow, but the nurse held her hand out.

"_Only_ the brother."

The teen looked down at his feet, grumbled under his breath, and then sighed.

_Eh damn…. It's probably for the best anyway…but – _

- But for some reason, he wanted to see how the two siblings would interact. When the nurse walked away, Rin opened the door a crack and peeked through.

He was a little stunned at what he saw.

The teen had never seen the sister like this before. Her hair was a tangled, frizzy bunch of blond curls, dropping to the waist, way different from the usual pin straight locks. She was certainly frazzled looking…. but in kinda a good way….

Did that even make _sense? _

For the first time, Rin realized the big physical difference between Aidyn and the girl. How were they related? The little guy was so pale… to the point that he looked sick, and he had these sad-looking brownish eyes. While his sister's skin was so dark… kinda like a chocolate bar, and her eyes were yellow….like….._cheese_ or _lemon_ something?

What's with all these _food _analogies?..!

The yellow eyes she now laid on her brother were soft and the corners of her mouth were lightly curled in affection. And those curls immediately spread into wide toothy grin. The girl held her arms out to her brother laughing. No meanness at all…

Aidyn ran up and embraced her.

"A – ARISU!"

_Arisu. Oh yeah… That was her name._

The girl returned the hug and began to speak. The siblings chatted in French, so Rin didn't understand a word they were saying. He could only listen to their tones. Aidyn sounded worried… there was a little whine in his voice too. Arisu sounded tender and apologetic. She rubbed the top of his head. The teen filled in the blanks of the conversation.

_Where were you sister? I was so worried._

_I'm sorry, Aidyn. I didn't want to leave you alone._

Arisu tugged the kid's ears playfully and laughed. Aidyn seemed so content, happy, _safe_, he began sobbing tears of joy. The girl shushed him gently and patted his back. Rin began to think more optimistically.

_Maybe I misjudged her…_

_She does seem to care about her brother a whole lot…_

_Maybe going missing wasn't her fault after all…_

_The infected could've taken her by force I guess…._

_Maybe she is a good sister…_

Suddenly, Arisu spotted a bloody scape on her brother's back. Rin's heart dropped to his stomach. Aidyn got that during Kuro's attack… when he knocked the teen out of the way… saving his life. The caring expression the girl once held hardened to accusation.

She looked over her brother's shoulder and spotted Rin. He jumped. It was like her aura completely changed… She said nothing. Her face was emotionless and icy…but it stung, like lemon juice getting caught in a paper cut. (Rin's not very poetic.)

"Aidyn…?" she said in a semi-sweet tone.

"A-ah…?"

More France (FRENCH!). Rin didn't understand.

The kid looked back from Rin to his sister, hesitant. Arisu spoke again, gently, gesturing to the door. Aidyn nodded and walked through the door. The teen backed up quickly and looked at his friend with confusion.

"H-hey?..! Where are you going?"

"G-getting water f-for s-sister."

"Oh, uh, okay…. You want me to get it?"

The boy seemed embarrassed at the offer.

"U-u-u-u-uh n-n-no! No! I-I am o-okay.. I am okay!"

"Um…. Alright, if you're sure…"

When Aidyn was gone, the teen heard Arisu call from inside the room.

"Why don't you come in for a moment meester Okumura?"

Rin did what she said. He knew the girl was going to give him the third-degree about her brother's injury, but it didn't matter. He wasn't afraid of her.

"You were gone for so long. Don't you wanna talk to him? Why'd you make him get you water?"

Arisu stumbled out of the hospital bed. She fell on her knees, crashing to the floor.

"HEY!" Rin rushed forward, and kneeled over her, "What are you – ARG –"

She grabbed his tie.

"Ow long do you intend to drag zis out?" the girl spat.

"W-what….?"

She yanked on the tie.

"_DON'T play dumb wiz me!_"

With stern eyes, Rin grabbed her wrist.

"What the _hell _are you going on about?"

Arisu's mouth twisted to a grimace, eyes wild with anger. Was this truly the same affectionate girl he saw a few minutes ago?

"Rin Okumura… Age: fifteen. Blood type: B. Birzday: December 27th. Attended Souzern Cross Grammar School. Received about zirty-two complaints from teachers and parents, all relating to violence towards classmates. Lost a job as a delivery boy, lost a job in a grocery store, lost a job as a lunch assistant, lost a job as a bus boy, 'n many ozers. The reason: aggressive actions towards citizens. Known for picking street fights. Nearly expelled in kindergarten after breaking a child's nose and arm. Nearly expelled in grammar school after beating up two guys in ze bathroom, giving one a broken arm and a light head injury. In kindergarten you also broke zree of you foster-fazer's ribs, sending 'im to ze 'ospital."

There was silence.

Just silence.

How, he did not know…

…but Arisu L'Écarlate had just condensed all of Rin's life failures into a few sentences.

He looked back stupidly.

"H-how – "

"Tell me, _miiister_ Rin Okumura. Does zat sound like ze type of person who would take sooo much care for my little brozer? A violent, aggressive beast? Oh what a shame – I caught onto you."

"How did you –"

"Ow did I get zis information? Do you really zink zat I would leave Aidyn all alone if it weren't to protect 'im?"

All those pleasant, warm thoughts Rin previously had about the girl faded away.

He saw her for what she really was –

A whiny, thick-headed brat.

"You left the school… JUST SO YOU CAN GET _DIRT _ON ME?...!"

"I zink I got quite _a lot _of dirt, actually."

"You had my BROTHER and other exorcists put their LIVES in danger so you can get _DIRT?...!"_

Arisu became infuriated.

"OH SHUT UP! Stop acting like YOU'RE some kind of SAINT! I see zrough you, so _quit _it – I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!"

Rin's heart stopped.

He prepared for the biting words.

_I know you're Satan's son…_

"You are a BASTARD just like any ozer bastard we've ran into. I know better zen to trust a stranger, one zat _CLAIMS_ to be Aidyn's 'friend' – ONLY TO STAB 'IM IN ZE BACK!"

"Wait…wha?"

That wasn't what Rin expected.

"What do you mean?...! I'm not lying! I _am _Aidyn's friend!"

"HA – 'ow many times 'ave I 'eard _zat_ before!"

"I'm serious – I'm his friend!"

But what this girl said… maybe it did hold some water…some truth. Rin remembered the first time he met Aidyn… in an alleyway with a bunch of thugs beating on him. He remembered walking the guy to the school, and the people spitting curses. He remembered the words Kamiki had said –

'_Th…there's something wrong with t-that s-student…. I think he has some kind of condition…'_

'_S-Something that drives people crazy.'_

So…all his life, Aidyn's condition made people want to kill him….

Arisu spoke through gritted teeth.

"If you go near my brozer again, I _promise _zat I will make your life a living 'ell."

But Rin wasn't listening; he was too busy putting the pieces together.

_So there were people out there who tried to gain Aidyn's trust…and then…._

_They CLAIMED to be his friend and then - !_

There was a boiling fury inside of Rin, whoever those people were –THEY – RIN WOULD – Who could do that? Who could do that to a innocent little guy like Aidyn?...! Make him feel like he's wanted and then…AND THEN!

The teen felt it, the flame – cindering, ready to burst from his pores.

Aidyn burst through the doors and ran between the two.

"No – no – _noooo! _No fight! No!"

The kid's helpless, squeaky voice eased Rin's nerves before he could flare up. The poor guy must've heard all the shouting. He felt horrible, what was going through Aidyn's head at that moment?

'Why is my injured sister on the floor having a screaming match with my so-called friend?'

Arisu faced her brother. The teen couldn't make out what she was saying, but her voice was stern.

"Aidyn …"

The child looked back and forth from Rin to the girl, his legs were shaking. Arisu's voice hardened.

"_AID-yn…_"

A high, shaky response came out of the little guy.

"N-n-n-no….."

The girl's eyes widened with shocked bewilderment, her mouth nearly dropped. Suddenly Rin understood what they must've been talking about.

She told Aidyn to stay away from Rin.

And he refused.

This must've been the first time the kid had ever said no to his bossy older sister.

Serves her right.

"Aidyn – "

"N-no. R-Rin m-my friend."

"AID – "

Rin clasped her shoulder.

"Hey. You're hurt, okay. You need to get back to bed."

Arisu swatted his hand way.

"_Don't _touch me!"

Rin got pissed again.

"HEY! What the hell did I ever do to get you to hate me so much?..! Yeah, I screwed up a lot in the past – _a HELL _of a lot! More then you _FREAKIN' _know! But I changed, and even if I didn't, I still wouldn't ever hurt Aidyn!"

"_Get out_," she hissed.

"_No._ Not until you get back into bed."

Before the girl could respond, a shriek erupted in the distance.

"_**GGGGGYYYAAAA! NOO! AHH! WHAT ARE YOU?...! NOOO!"**_

Everyone jolted up at the noise, even Arisu. The voice sounded female, like it belonged to an adult woman. Rin couldn't tell how far away the cry was, but the danger was there, and he sensed it. In a heartbeat, the teen was on his feet and through the doors.

"Riiin!" Aidyn called and ran after him.

Despite her weakened state, Arisu followed as well.

"Wait – _Aidyn!_"

Rin dashed forward with no sense of direction. The teen had no idea where he was going. The only thing he knew was that a woman was in danger.

"HEY! – Where are you?..!"

"_**SOME ONE! SOMEONE PLEASE! IT'S HIDEOUS – IT'S HIDEOUS!"**_

The booming yell came from all directions. It was useless, no matter how far Rin ran, the voice neither faltered nor grew lauder. Where in the world did it _come _from? The hallways were endless; they became dark and stretchy with each turn.

"_**SOMEONEHELPME HELP ME HELPMEHELPME"**_

_** "THEYWONTSTOPTHEYWONTSTOP"**_

"_**IT HURTS"**_

"_**IMINPAIN THEY'REHURTINGMETHEY'REHURTINGME ITS UNFORGIVABLE"**_

"_**THEYWANTME TO DIE THEYWANTMETODIETHEYWANTMETO TO TO"**_

"_**DIE"**_

"_**ITS HIDEOUS ITSADEMONITSADEMON ITSHIDEOUSITSHIDEOUS"**_

"_**ITS HIDEOUS"**_

_** "ITS CRUEL"**_

"_**IT'S A DEMON"**_

"_**A DEMON"**_

"_**A DEMON"**_

Rin kept running, but winced and covered his ears in pain.

"Sh-shut up…"

The words assaulted his head and blocked out all other logic. Everything became blurry and the walls began to spin.

"_**you are a demon"**_

"_**come to us"**_

Rin had one single thought before he hit the floor –

.

.

.

.

.

.

_**A trap?**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** ^^; Haha sorry... I know I'm kind of making the plot jump into yet another dilemma, but it's extremely important! :0 We are approaching a massive turning point that I've planned since the beginning! _


	30. Chapter 29: Ignore (the leech)

**October 2, 2012**

**Yukio Okumura **

**Research Log: 4**

**I have -**

The young man walked through a heavy golden door and kneeled before his superiors. The doctor traveled to Rome, logically, using a magic key, to report the Sanguis incident. Above him, in an extravagant balcony sat the Grigory, the heart of True Cross, the Vatican, all exorcists alike.

From behind stood Auguste Angel. Yukio could feel the paladin's smirk burning in the back of his head. The man's threat was thick in the air – find a cure, or lose your brother – it was as simple as that. And Yukio knew that the paladin felt he couldn't succeed, that the genius exorcist was cracking under pressure.

Rin will be his…soon enough.

_I'd kill him first – _

A cloud of rage filled Yukio's mind and chest.

_I'd kill him first – _

_I'd kill him first – _

_I'D KILL HIM FIRST – _

No… wait, these thoughts weren't practical. They were alien…they invaded him.

(Like a parasite)

(Like a disease)

_I'd sooner kill my brother than let him fall into his hands._

No – no _wait! _He needed to be calm and sensible. He needed to address the court.

(He needed to forget the beakers in his study.)

"I am Yukio Okumura, intermediate first class."

"Come closer, Mr. Okumura," ordered a female elder.

The young man did as he was told and strode up a long staircase, which ended in midair. He could now see the Grigory more closely. Each of the three superiors were draped in colorful veils, concealing their face, as to show he was not worthy to lay eyes on their naked skin. A judge, sitting at a desk, lower than the elders, began the questioning.

"It has been a full week and four days since the appearance of this so-called madman, tell us, who is he? Is he considered a serious threat?"

Yukio answered in a monotone voice.

"He calls himself Sanguis, and yes, he is an extremely serious threat."

The paladin's smile remained. Obviously, he felt that Yukio was too weak and inexperienced to know the meaning of 'serious threat.'

"What makes him so powerful?" asked a male elder.

The young man took a deep breath, steadying himself, "He…the man gains a sturdier body and form by – _injecting. …himself_ with demon blood."

Auguste Angel's smirk dropped. There was a complete uproar in the court, concerned and outraged chatter overlapped one another, forming a bleeding chaos.

The Judge slammed the gavel down, "Order – _ORDER! _Mr. Okumura, please elaborate on this."

"My hypothesis is that the man uses multiple blood transfusions to obtain the body of a demon."

"An artificial demon?" the female superior asked, disturbed, "How could a human _survive _such harsh scientific treatment?"

"I am not sure," Yukio confessed, "I asked the same question to the man himself, and he did not give me a sensible response."

Chatter, lighter than before, continued to echo throughout the room.

"If this Sanguis is as powerful as you say…," the judge started, "then how did you possibly escape with your life?"

"I didn't…. The man left when he grew bored of my presence."

"Elaborate!"

"Sanguis is not a sensible human being. Although he claims to have a master, it seems as though all his motives are for sheer pleasure, amusement… watching others squirm."

"A _master _you say?...!," Exclaimed a male Grigory member.

"Yes, he called her 'mother', I believe he's referring to either something called the Dollmaker or something called the Goddess – "

Yukio saw the color drain from the Grigory's faces. The terms he just used, the superiors _recognized_ them. He knew it. He was right all along; the Goddess and the Dollmaker _did _strike in the past…. When Father Fujimoto was in cram school. The young man expected further questioning, but instead, he was dismissed.

"That will be all, Mr. Okumura… Auguste Angel! Would you please escort him out."

The paladin approached Yukio, "As you wish. This way, Mr. Okumura."

The young man followed Angel out of the courtroom and into Vatican headquarters. After the door slammed shut, the paladin's voice emerged from the silence.

"What exactly are you trying to pull, Mr. Okumura?"

Yukio gave a spry response, too spry, considering his low position in ranking.

"It seems like I know more than you've thought sir."

"Is that so? Are you truly that concerned for your brother's well being that you feel the need to make up stories about a so-called 'Dollmaker' and 'Goddess'?"

Rage filled Yukio.

(The beakers were black)

"I – " he clenched his fist, "I have _legitimate _information to prove it– _codes, _I just have to solve them. But in order to do so, I need permission to travel to the United States."

Angel lifted an eyebrow.

"So the rumors are true. You truly have gone insane."

"No!" the young man shouted, "There's someone _there! _Someone who's dealt with this same dilemma in the past."

Since when was the cold genius, Yukio Okumura, this frazzled?

"Oh really? And who is this someone and where does he live?" Angel scoffed.

"Arata Hajime, 259 Shell Street, Brickwood, North Carolina."

"…And where did you get this information?"

"Shura Kirigakure."

The Paladin's eyes widened with shock. Yukio knew Shura would probably be angry at him for exposing her helpful deed…. and to the paladin of all people. But what choice did he have?

"_No._"

Yukio's heart stopped.

"What?"

"No, Mr. Okumura, my answer is no. It is obvious to me, and to all of True Cross that you have lost your mind. I refuse to allow travel across the earth for some impractical theory. Not to mention, it could threaten the spread of disease. Only Senior ranked exorcists are permitted to leave the barriers of the Vatican and True Cross."

The young man lost his temper, "Y-you can't do this! You tell me to find a cure by December and yet you wont let me do the proper _research?...!_"

"I allow only what is right. And besides, I believe you _know_ who's truly behind the epidemic."

Yukio gritted his teeth, it was getting harder for him to breathe, harder to stay in control.

"You just _want _my brother to be responsible for the sickness. You're acting under a personal vendetta, _not _logic. You can't stand the sight of Rin, the son of Satan, being trained as an exorcist – "

In less than a millisecond, the Paladin held his large blade at Yukio's throat. The man's voice was no longer condescending. It was low…angry.

"_Watch your tongue,_" he spat, "_If that was the case, I would've had your brother trialed and hanged long ago._"

The young man reached for his guns…. It didn't matter if his lost his collectivity. It didn't matter if he shot at the paladin, a major superior. It didn't matter if he lost his certification as an exorcist. He just wanted to fire, to have all hell break loose. Logic was disconnected from Yukio's mind. He didn't care….he just didn't give a _DAMN_ anymore…

(The beakers were black as night)

Before the young man could make the worst decision of his career, another exorcist ran into the headquarters. Angel immediately lowered his weapon.

"P-paladin! Mr. paladin, sir!"

"Yes, what is it?"

"I – I – its…"

"Calm down and tell me."

"T-True Cross Academy sir…. The b-barriers are broken. It's under attack."

**Somewhere, the blackened bits of Yukio's blood ran cold. **

**And somewhere, in Yukio's study, the beakers tested him positive for 'Noire Du Sang'.**


End file.
